


Empty Spaces

by TheGirlWithAStory



Category: Chicago Fire
Genre: F/M, Fling - Freeform, Fluff, Kid - Freeform, Love, Mentioned Abuse, Pining, Rescue
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-04
Updated: 2020-05-26
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:34:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 23,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22116466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGirlWithAStory/pseuds/TheGirlWithAStory
Summary: 51 finds a abandoned child while doing a search and rescue during a nasty storm. They take her back to the firehouse while they wait for the storm to blow over. Except this kid tries to play match maker during her stay.
Relationships: Sylvie Brett/Matthew Casey
Comments: 77
Kudos: 230





	1. Break

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoy this! First multi-chapter for this fandom! Please leave reviews and suggestions for both this story and new ones :)

Sylvie hated storms, thunder mainly. She didn’t mind it as much when she was home because at least then she could put on a movie and snuggle up underneath her covers. But today It wasn’t like any other day in firehouse 51. Today they had been issued two warnings, a severe weather warning and a tornado warning. The tornado hadn’t yet reached their district thank fully but they could tell it was close and the lightning, thunder and rain was going crazy.

  
The house was still open, and the calls were still coming in. Squad 3 had begun stacking sandbags while truck was preparing for more calls. Ambo was getting restocked and trying to assist with whatever they could until their next call came.

  
Placing the last of the gauze into the ambo Sylvie stepped out and closed the rig, her body still a little shaken but the thunder had seemed to have died down a bit and the rain appeared to have begun easing up. She decided she’d go see if anyone else needed help seems her and Emily had finished with the rig. She walked over slowly and stood a couple steps in front of Casey who was filling out a check list. 

  
“Hey Captain, need a hand with anything?” She asked, a small smile gracing her lips even though she felt terrified inside. Matt Casey looked up at her and smiled slightly, he could tell she was out of sorts due to the storm. He shook his head lightly, looking around for a quick second before looking back at her. 

  
“No, I think we’re all good. Thanks Brett.” He hated not having something for her to do, something that would keep her close to him. He placed a hand gently on her shoulder, his head tilting slightly to the side as he spoke to her. “I’m sure it’ll die down soon.”

  
She nodded in agreement, smiling a little more. Just as he was about to move his hand though a clad of thunder ripped through the fire house causing a small squeal to come out of Sylvie’s mouth. Matt instinctively pulled her close with the hand that sat on her shoulder and hugged her close.

Sylvie’s eyes were squeezed shut, her hands against his chest but also covering her face and she let him hold her. It was the safest she had felt all day.  
They didn’t move for maybe a minute or two more, until they heard the bell go. 

  
_“Truck 81 …. Squad 3 ….. Ambulance 61 …. Fallen tree, people in distress. 704 east wood drive.”_

  
Everyone around them flew into action, Sylvie took a step back and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, her check blushing bright red. “Thanks. I better go.”

  
He nodded in agreement, stepping away and going to his boots and gear. Chucking it on like everyone else and getting in the truck. Sylvie jogged over to the ambulance and jumped in with Emily. They had already established that it would be better if Foster drove. 

  
And just like that they all took off out the doors, the trucks first and ambulance coming behind them. All sirens blaring as they took off towards the scene. 

  
When they arrived they didn’t expect to see what they did……


	2. Crack'n Wood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emergency call, finding Bella,

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy this chapter. There isn't any Brettsey but will be in the next chapter!

When they arrived on scene it wasn’t like anything they had seen in a while. Although it was only 2pm the streets looked gloomy, like a horror movie. The town had turned the streetlights on early to assist with vision.

  
When all the trucks and ambulance had stopped Sylvie stepped out of the ambulance, she was shocked, and her facial expression said it all. In front of them laid a large oak tree which was complete blocking off the road and had landed through the old, abandoned house opposite side of it. 

  
They all rallied together around the front of the trucks. They had seen the addition trucks sent to help on the opposite side of the tree, working on securing gas mains and power lines and sorting through the victims on the opposite side, there didn’t appear to be any major casualties Sylvie thought thankfully. “Alright 51 cut through some of this debris, grab out the saws. 81, check the first floor. Squad 3 on second. Brett and Foster, survey for victims.” 

  
Severide nodded, turning to his men and pointing towards the house. “Capp, Tony you guys with me on primary search of the second floor. Cruz stay with truck, have the saws ready.” And they were off, into the house and up the stairs before anyone could say another word. 

  
Casey turned to his own group and ambo who were still waiting to be cleared to go. “Kidd, you’re with me searching bottom floor. Otis and Mouch check the surrounding area of the house, check for hazards. Foster and Brett, check the survivors around this side of the tree.” 

  
They all nodded and headed off to where they were needed. Sylvie noted that surprisingly there wasn’t many victims that appeared visibly injured. She walked over to one girl who was roughly 16 years old and had a laceration on her forehead. “Hi sweet, my names Sylvie. you’ve got a nasty cut there. Mind if I take a look?”

  
The young girl nodded before she felt Sylvie wipe some of the blood off. The teen stuttered slightly, coughing a little as she spoke. “B-Bella…” 

  
“Bella? Is that your name?” Sylvie asked, she was concerned with how out of it the girl was and suspected a concussion. She looked up quickly and made eye contact with Emily, waving her over. 

  
“N-no, Bella. She’s only young. Where’s Bella?” The teen looked alarmed and panicky, before her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she began seizing. Sylvie laid her down and made sure she was clear of danger. She grabbed her radio quickly and called to the guys of 81 and squad three. “Captain, Lieutenant we have another possible victim inside the house. Girl, her name is Bella.” 

  
“Foster, get me 5mg of diazepam.” Brett called out to Foster once she placed her radio back down, Emily jogged the rest of the way over and sat down the bag. Brett held the girls head to ensure no more damage was done. Her nerves were skyrocketing at the thought of another kid being trapped.

  
Foster administer the syringe and the girl immediately began to slow her convulsions. The back up paramedics arrived not long after Brett and Foster had put the young girl on the back board, and they took her away. 

  
As soon as the ambulance pulled away Sylvie began walking back over to the front of the house that the tree collapsed into, she pulled her radio up and began speaking into it. “Any signs of the other girl?”

  
“Nothing yet Brett, we’ll keep looking.” Casey called over the radio.

  
Wiping her hands off on her pants, Sylvie only just realised that she was sweating. She was worried for the girl even though she didn’t know her. She stood there for what felt like minutes but was really only 30 seconds waiting for something, anything to indicate what was going on. She knew she had to get back to assessing other patients, or at least ask around if anyone need any medical attention. 

  
As she turned around to go back to the tree, she heard the radio click and Casey’s voice come over the speaker. “Brett, we found her. She’s okay. We’re bringing her out to get checked out.”

  
Releasing a breath, she didn’t realise she’d been holding she grabbed her medical bag and began walking towards the front door. Suddenly a big gist of wind came, almost knocking her down and she suddenly got an uneasy feeling that the storm wasn’t quite over yet. She noticed that the tree had been moved to the sides of the road where it was obstructing anything, but the weather was making it hazardous to stay outside. 

  
She looked up against the force of the wind and saw Casey, walking out with this tiny girl in his arms, no older than ten. The young girl looked terrified and had obviously been crying but visibly she looked okay. 

  
“Hi, you must be Bella. I’m Sylvie. I’m going to check you out, is that okay?” Sylvie gasps as the girl suddenly lunged at her, landing straight in her arms and wrapping her arms around Sylvie’s neck. She smiled a little, locking eyes with Casey, who looked slightly shocked. “Okay…. Let’s get you over here to the ambo.” 

  
Placing the young girl on the back of the rig Sylvie grabbed the blanket that Emily offered her, wrapping it around the young girls shoulders. “Bella? How old are you?” 

  
“I’m 6.” Bella stated holding up six fingers, smiling for the first time since the guys had brought her out of the house. It was then that Sylvie noticed truly how small the young girl was, only matching the height and weight of maybe a 4-year-old. She noticed Bella’s face soon dropped and a look of worry washed over her face as she tried to get up. “Where’s Ava? Is she okay!? She was going to find food for us.” 

  
“Woah, woah Bella you’ve got to stop and let me check you over.” Sylvie reasoned, holding her hands on the girls shoulders. “Ava is okay. She was taken to Med with a nasty cut on her head, but she’ll be out in no time. Are you two sisters?” She figured it was better she kept the major details under wraps, not wanting the girl to freak out at all.   
“No…. She just takes care of me...”

  
Sylvie had just finished checking the girl over and was about to ask her what she meant when a call came through on the radio, it was one she wasn’t quite familiar with but knew it was serious. She felt herself go into a slight panic but knew to keep on her poker face as not to scare the young girl.

  
“Main to 51. All units report back to base. Tornado is reaching hazardous levels, main power in station is compromised.” 

  
As soon as the radio call finished a crack of thunder ripped through the neighbourhood and all residents began retreating inside, no parents left for the child. “You heard main, everyone packs up the trucks and head back to 51!” Boden’s voice sounded slightly worried, he walked over to the ambulance where Sylvie and Emily sat with Bella.   
Sylvie looked up again to see Chief Boden walking over to them through the rain. He looked worried, but his voice was soft. “How is she?” 

  
“She’s okay, a little under nourished but she looks perfectly healthy otherwise.” Sylvie said, looking down and giving Bella a warm smile. She figured if she smiled enough the girl might ease up a bit more, know that Sylvie and the rest of the gang weren’t a threat to her.

  
“Where’s your parents young one?” Boden asked kindly, his baby/child voice was gentle compared to his chief voice. They all noted the way Bella flinched and curled herself into Sylvie’s side.

  
“They left me alone for a long time…” Bella whispered quietly, a tear falling down her cheek as she closed her eyes. She felt Sylvie’s arm wrap protectively around her and pull her close. Giving her some of the comfort she had longed for these past few months. Sure, Ava was great but sometimes it takes an adults hug and them mentioning it’ll be okay for you to start to believe it.

  
“Well then, you’ll have to come back to the fire station with us. It’s not safe for the police to be coming down here in this storm, they can grab you from the fire house when its settled.” Boden stated and with a nod he was gone, back to his car. The other trucks began loading up and taking off one by one. 

  
“C’mon little one, I’ll sit in the back with you.” Sylvie said, smiling softly at the girl as she helped to pick her up and place her into the rig before getting in herself. 

  
Emily got out of the back and shut the doors before heading around to the front and jumping in. She started the ambo and cranked up the heater before pulling out and heading back to the firehouse.


	3. Eggs

Once arriving back to the fire house, Emily who was driving the ambulance pulled into their designated spot. Sylvie had held the small child the entire ride back, Bella was reluctant to get off the paramedic and it showed. Even upon arrival to the firehouse and the ambulance being switched off she made no move to allow them to get out.

“Hey, Bella? You think it’d be okay if we got out yet?” Sylvie asked, not wanting to frighten the girl more and allowing her control over the situation. With how much Bella had been through and the raging storm the last thing she wanted to do was frighten the girl more and have her shell close back up. Sylvie felt Bella’s head shake, no.

“You know, everyone here is _super_ nice. They’re all my friends and I’ve known them for a really long time. And you know what? None of them would _ever_ hurt you okay?” She made sure her words spoke volume, to tell the child she wasn’t lying or misleading her. Sylvie was hoping to help Bella form a trust with firehouse 51 and to hopefully bring back some of that happy energy she knew kids had.

Sylvie noticed Bella pull back, before she looked up at Sylvie’s face. It was the first time Sylvie noticed how beautiful the child’s brown eyes were. She couldn’t help but think about what may have happened to this precious and sweet child, to make her so timid and afraid.

For the first time since being at the scene of the accident Sylvie heard Bella speak, it was a small “Ok” but it was more then she had gotten on the whole ride over. It caused Sylvie to smile before tapping on the window, allowing Emily to know it was okay to open the doors.   
  


Once the doors were opened Emily helped Bella get out before Sylvie climbed out herself. All the fire trucks were back, and she noticed squad at their usual table even though it was cold. She felt a small hand in her own and she gave it a small squeeze, looking down to see Bella smile up at her.   
“Come on. Let’s go find you some food, shall we?” Sylvie asked, more just thinking out loud and wanting the child to know what they were doing.

They began to walk towards the doors that lead to the common room when a clad of thunder erupted throughout the house, causing Bella to scream and latch herself onto Sylvie’s leg. Sylvie herself jumped before she reached down and picked up the small child, holding her close. To be honest, Sylvie had completely forgotten about the storm. She had been so focused on Bella that her mind must have blocked it out.

“Hey, you guys alright?” Kelly called out from the table and Bella notably held tighter to Sylvie’s neck. With a quick note from Sylvie, her, Bella and Emily made their way through the door.

Once in the common room Sylvie felt Bella head shift, so she was now looking around and could see all the people in the room. “Okay everyone, this is Bella. Bella, these are all my friends. This is Mouch and Herrmann.” Sylvie spoke, pointing to the men who were sitting on the couch. She then turned to the table and pointed at each member individually introducing them all. “There is Casey who pulled you out of the house. Then there’s Capp, Tony, Ridder, Joe and our favourite girl Stella Kidd.” The last bit was said with oomph as Sylvie pointed at Stella. Stella’s smile was all that was needed for Bella to open up a little and wave to her.

“Hey! What about us? We’re cool!” The boys all had there small say but stopped once Matt Casey gave them a firm look, seeing how Bella tightened up at the sound of the men’s voices.

Sylvie smiled at Matt and mouthed thank you before walking over to the bench and placing Bella on top. Emily and Stella made their way over to Sylvie, all of them now standing in front of Bella who had a small smile on her face.

Stella was the first to make a move, opening the steel cupboards surrounding them and the fridge before listing off food options. “Okay Miss Bella, what would you like to eat? We have Captain crunch, popcorn, ham sandwiches, tomato soup…” She trailed off as she looked back, seeing the disinterest for the foods she had listed.

They watched as Bella bit her lip before bringing her hand up and using it to signal, she wanted Stella to come closer. She leaned into the firefighter and whispered softly in her ear.

Stella looked back at the child with a quizzed expression before nodding her hand and bringing her own hands together. “Okay, eggs it is.” She nodded as she looked at the other girls, Sylvie sending a shrug her way.

They all sat around while Stella cooked the young girl some eggs. Bella began opening up more to the girls, telling them her full name (which was Isabella Taylor Prince) and what kind of foods she liked. She was yet to tell them what happened with her parents and why she was alone at the house but each of the adults silently agreed to let her settle in first and ease into it later.

Once the eggs were done Sylvie picked up Bella and placed her back on the ground, walking her over to the table while Stella dished her eggs up and brought them over. This was when Sylvie spoke up, noticing that Bella hadn’t made a move to sit down anywhere. “You can sit wherever you like Bella, any chair at the table.” As soon as she finished speaking Bella shocked all of them when she walked over to Matt and raised her arms, wanting to sit on his lap while she ate. Matt looked at the small girl and then at each of the girls, his eyes locking onto Sylvie’s before he pushed his seat back and placed Bella on his lap. Stella placed the plate and fork down in front of them and Sylvie sat in the chair next to Matt’s.

“I think she likes you.” Sylvie spoke softly to Matt as they both watched in awe at Bella trying to use the fork to eat her eggs, it was adorable to the both of them.

“Yeah, I think she does. Which is good because I like her too.” Matt said as he reached up and tickled the young girls side, she giggled and squirmed putting a big smile on both Matt and Sylvie’s face. He stopped tickling her and allowed her the chance to get back to eating.

“That’s the first time I’ve heard her laugh since you brought her out of the house.” Sylvie whispered, unable to look away from Matt. She loved when he smiled, when he was carefree and just enjoying himself. It was a rare thing to see when he was working, she’d often see it at Molly’s bar when the crew would be drinking together, and it always made her heart flutter.

When Matt looked back at her they locked eyes, he smiled at her and she smiled back. They stayed looking at each other for a few moments before Sylvie looked down at Bella, her cheeks instantly warming up. It was the then that she noticed that Bella had finished her eggs and was now laying back against Casey’s chest, her eyes closed and her chest rising and falling in slowly.

Casey looked down when he noticed the way Sylvie was looked at them both. He was shocked to see how Bella had fallen asleep. It made his heart melt to know this little girl trusted him enough to fall asleep on him. “I think all those tickles wore her out, come on. We’ll put her in my office.”

And with a nod they both stood up, Casey manoeuvring Bella so he could carry her comfortably. It wasn’t hard, she was so tiny against him and it saddened him to the thought of how this child got so thin.

Once they arrived at his office Sylvie pulled back the blanket on his bed and Matt laid the small girl down gently, not wanting to wake her. “You can stay with her if you want, catch some sleep.”

Sylvie smiled at him and nodded as she moved to stand in front of him, her hand coming up and resting on his arm. She had always admired him, the way he treated everyone equally and with respect. How he handled families and young children. She knew her crush for it was becoming obvious, maybe not to him but to her friends at 51 it was. “You’re a good man, Matt Casey.”

Matt stared at her for a second, his heart pounding as he thought back to earlier in the day when he had hugged her. He wanted to hug her, kiss her but he didn’t. He knew as Lieutenant it wasn’t appropriate. He didn’t want to mislead her and make things awkward for them, especially when they were out on the floor. He finally spoke up, coughing slightly at first when his words came out choked and hoarse.

“I can do my paperwork in the blue room instead if you’d like?” He took a step back, breaking himself out of his chain of thought and turned to grab his files that he had been working on earlier that day. “I don’t want to bother you two.”

“Actually, could you stay?” Sylvie asked hesitantly, she didn’t want to see overly clingy and annoying but with the storm still raging on outside she didn’t want to be alone, even if Bella was here. She knew she’d feel much safer if Matt was there too.

It was like he had sensed that she needed him here because Matt smiled, gave her a small nod and placed his files back down before pulling out his chair.

“Of course.”


	4. Strawberries Sunday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ABUSE WARNING IN THIS CHAPTER!!!
> 
> Hi! I just want to say a big thank you to every one responding and reviewing this!  
> I hope you are all enjoying it so far. The next few chapters are going to be pretty intense so a warning is being dropped.  
> Please keep reviewing, it gives her motivation. :)

Upon waking, the first thing Sylvie noticed was the smell of Casey surrounding her, bringing a brief sense of calmness to her. The next thing she felt was tiny fingers tracing up and down her cheek, past her ear and then playing with her hair. It took her a moment to remember what had happened in the previous hours, and that although she wished one day it would be Casey running his hand through her hair in this case, it was in fact Bella. Yet, she wasn’t even disappointed at the realisation. 

  
When Sylvie opened her eyes, she saw Bella’s staring back at her, a grin on the little girls face which she happily reciprocated. “Hi Princess, did you have a good sleep?” Sylvie asked quietly, her own hand coming up to brush away the little girls hair. She couldn’t help but think of what may have happened to Bella, she made it a note in the back of her head to bring up the subject later when they were alone.

  
“Uh-huh.” Bella nodded as she sat up, her eyes wandered over to Casey’s who was still sitting at his desk doing paperwork. She opened her mouth and yawned, causing the man to turn around in his chair. “Hi Matt.” 

  
Matt Casey had not wanted to disturb their moment before but seeing as he knew now that they were awake and remembered he was here, he figured it was okay. “Hi girls, was that a nice nap?” He asked, looking between them both. He looked at Sylvie and smiled as she nodded, she was beautiful, especially when she first woke up. 

  
“How long were we asleep for?” Sylvie asked, raising her arms above her head to stretch before she sat up. She brought her hands up to her face to wipe away the sleep before her hand came down and rubbed the small girls back.

  
“Almost an hour, not too long. Ridder texted ten minutes ago and said dinner would be ready in an hour or so.” Casey said, he sat there for a minute longer watching the two before he stood up. He opened one of the draws in his desk and pulled out a Dalmatian dog plush that he was given at one of the first fighter seminars he had been to. He walked over and sat on the end of the bed, holding it out to Bella with a small smile. “Here, for you.”

  
They both watched the light in Bella’s eyes when she saw the plush, it was like someone had flicked a switch. Her smile grew and she jumped up, wrapping her arms around Matts neck and hugging him tightly. “Thank you, Matt.” Bella whispered softly. Although it was such a small gesture it meant the world to the little girl. It brought tears to both Matt and Sylvie’s eyes. 

  
After releasing Matt from her bone crushing hug, she took the plush and hugged him to her chest, a small smile still on her lips. “What’s his name?” She asked, her brown eyes looking up into Matt’s blue ones.

“Why don’t you name him?” Matt stated, shrugging his shoulders a little. “We have a firehouse dog here named Tuesday.”

  
“Tuesday? That’s silly.” Bella giggled, looking back down at the plush and then looking behind her at Sylvie. “Maybe I name him Sunday?” 

  
Sylvie laughed softly and nodded her head, looking from Bella to Matt and then back again. “That sounds perfect.” 

  
“Sylvie….” Bella frowned slightly before turning around away from Matt and crawled a few inches closer to Sylvie, bringing her hand up to cup her ear before whispering ‘potty’ into it. 

  
“C’mon then. Bathroom is this way.” Sylvie stood up out of the bed, watching as Matt stood too and went back over to his desk. She reached her arms out and helped Bella off the bed, who wasn’t letting go of her new toy. “We’ll be back later Matt; I think I’m going to try get her out of these dirty clothes.” 

  
And with that they left again, hand in hand and off towards the bathroom. Joined by Stella who had just stepped out of the bunks. 

The three girls entered the bathroom which held all the shifts lockers, as well as multiple showers and toilets. Sylvie showed Bella to the toilets, figuring the girl could go by herself before she walked a small distance away and back over to Stella. 

  
“So, you and Casey huh?” Was the first thing Stella asked, her eyebrows raised and a smirk present on her face. It had been a common joke in their friends group to tease Sylvie about the obvious crush that she had on Casey. Although Emily and Stella were the only two who knew that the only reason, she didn’t pursue it was because of his ex and her best friend.

  
“Shh!” Sylvie whispered rather loudly, having not checked the room beforehand she wasn’t sure if any other crew were in there. “No, not me and Casey. Get it out of your head.”   
Stella burst out laughing before she could control it. She had seen the way Sylvie and Matt acted around each other and her previous crush on him. “Oh, come on. You were practically drooling over him during runs last week.” 

  
Sylvie’s mouth opened and closed, she knew Stella was right and they had previously talked about her crush on Matt, but she didn’t want to ruin the amazing friendship they had created since his ex and her best friend had left. “I just, I don’t want to ruin things. What if he doesn’t feel the same? He could still be in love with Gabby.” She sighed, her hands coming up and rubbing her face and pushing her fringe back. 

  
Sylvie’s statement caused Stella to laugh again, shaking her head at her obviously blind friend. “Girl, you have no idea.”

  
It was at that moment that Bella came out of the toilet and Sylvie couldn’t ask Stella what she meant. Bella looked between the two girls suspiciously putting her hands on her hips. “Were yous talkin bout me?” 

  
The way she spoke caused Sylvie to smile, shaking her head in response. “No sweet, we weren’t talking about you. I promise.” Sylvie said, sticking out her pinky which Bella locked with hers. 

  
After letting go, Stella left, and Sylvie took Bella over to her locker. She put in the combination as Bella watched before opening the door. “I was thinking maybe we could get you in the shower. Clean you up and get you some fresh clothes?” Sylvie suggested as she took out her shampoo, conditioner and body wash from her locker. It was obvious the girl hadn’t had a shower in a while and although she didn’t stink, she certainly didn’t smell as a small girl should. 

  
“Will you stay and help me?” Bella asked quietly, like she was almost afraid to ask. She was fiddling with a piece of loose cotton on her shirt even when she looked up. She did want to shower but she was scared, this place was still so foreign and there were men everywhere. She trusted Sylvie. Plus, she didn’t know how to wash her hair herself yet.  
Sylvie smiled lightly and nodded, handing the girl a clean town and showing her the way to the showers. Placing the items on the metal seat row, Sylvie kneeled. Helping the young girl to undress when she showed struggle to remove her top.

  
Although having no children of her own Sylvie loved them. She had baby sat for most of Fowlerton during her teen age years, so she knew children pretty well. What she wishes she didn’t know well was the bruises caused by ‘loving’ parents, or the ones caused by parents who admitted they were bad. Over her years as a paramedic she had seen a lot of cases, children abused by those meant to protect them, those meant to nurture them. But what she hadn’t seen was the bruises left weeks after they had happened. They taught you in school to leave your emotions in the locker room, to drop your patients off at the hospital and that be it. So, when she removed the girls top her hands flew to cover her mouth and tears stung her eyes. Here stood a six-year-old who’s ribs were covered in hand mark bruises; no more than a week old.

  
“Oh baby, what happened to you?” Sylvie asked, more rhetorically than anything. She didn’t expect the young girl to answer, the shock in her face evident when the girl began to speak.

  
“The men, they got mad. Ava wouldn’t let them take me, she told them I was her cubby. _Not for sale_.” The last bit of the sentence was said differently, like she was copying what someone else had said. Bella had tears running down her face now, her little fingers came up to her mouth and she began to cry quite audibly.

  
Sylvie was second guessing whether she should hug her or not, not wanting to frighten the girl. She decided against her thought and reached out, pulling the girl into her lap and sitting herself back against the brick for support. Bella placed a leg either side of Sylvie, wrapping her legs around her back and her arms around her neck, her face burying into Sylvie’s chest as she cried. Sylvie let her own tears fall now, as she began to rock with the child. Humming softly as her hand ran up the girls back. “You’re okay baby, you’re okay. I’ve got you.”

  
They sat together for ten minutes, only moving to rock back and forth. Sylvie was grateful that no one had come in or looking for them. They needed this time alone, to bond and cuddle, for Bella to let out her emotions and trust Sylvie to hold and protect her. Bella had stopped crying after a few minutes and was just enjoying being held. She waited another minute or so before pulling back from Sylvie and looking at her. 

  
“Shower now?” She asked softly, it was evident in the tiny girls voice that she was tired again but they both knew she needed a shower. 

  
“Yeah baby, shower now.” Sylvie helped Bella back up before getting onto her knee’s, she helped Bella pull her pants off but left her in her underwear. She figured she could take them off herself while she started the water. 

  
Once the water was on she helped Bella step in. Sylvie closed the curtain and sat down on the seat just in front. “Stick your hand out and ill give you some body wash.” She said, uncapping the body wash and squirting some onto the girls hand. 

  
“Sylvie! It smells like strawberries!” She heard Bella exclaim from behind the curtain a smile evident in her voice, it made Sylvie laughed. 

  
“It sure does, it’s one of my favourites.” Sylvie said as she began to stand, just as she made it all the way up, she saw a small head pop out from behind the curtain. “Don’t worry, I’m just grabbing my phone to text a friend.” 

  
Sylvie grabbed her phone from the end of the bench and texted Herrmann first asking him if the storm had let up at all and if it did if Cindy could possibly spare some of Annabelle’s old clothes for Bella. She then texted Emily and asked her if she could grab a spare size XS Chicago fire department shirt and a jumper too. She then returned to where she was before on the bench. It wasn’t long after that Emily returned with clothes in hand. 

  
“Hey! Got your text. I also brought in a pack of kids underwear from the kids drive pile, its unopened. Herrmann told me to tell you that the warning has been downgraded but it’s still not safe to travel.” Emily said almost out of breath by the end of it, as she placed the clothes down on the bench. Bella poked her head out of the curtain again and smile. “Hey Rockstar!”

  
“Hi Emily!” Bella smiled, bringing a wet arm out and waving at her. She then turned her head and looked at Sylvie. “Sylvie, can you please wash my hair?” 

  
Emily took that as her cue to leave and waved a bye to them both. Sylvie stood and helped wash the girls hair. Once it was done, she turned off the shower and helped her dry and get dressed. The top had the effect she wanted and was more of a dress on the girl, she put the jumper on her too and rolled up the sleeves. 

  
“Well who’s this beautiful new girl in front of me?” Sylvie asked, feigning shock at the cleaned girl in front of her. Bella giggled shyly, turning a little in her spot. It was at that moment that she heard her stomach rumble. 

  
“Must mean it’s dinner time huh? Why don’t we head to the common room and see what’s cooking?” After Sylvie packed away her stuff and put Bella’s closed in the wash they stalked off towards the kitchen. 

  
She had thought the day was going pretty well considering, she had no clue how wrong she was about to be……


	5. Heebie jeebies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: VIOLENCE AGAINST MINORS UNDER THE AGE OF EIGHTEEN.

_“Where is she?” Was the first thing Ava heard when she woke up. Her head was pounding, and her eyes hurt from the bright lights. She heard him again. “Where is the brat!?”_  
_She didn’t answer at first, she knew she was the only thing protecting Bella and what these men would do to her if they found her was enough for her to want to keep her mouth shut, at least until she could get help._

  
_She felt one of the men grab her shoulder and shake her, trying to wake her more out of her haze. Where am I? Was her first thought. She didn’t remember much except for the tree falling and the pretty blonde lady, after that everything is black._

  
_“Where is she, bitch?” She felt a slap across her face and her hand instinctively went up to cup her cheek. Finally, her eyes opened, and she saw who it was questioning her. She heard more then she saw her heart rate monitor going off, her heart felt like it was beating out of her chest._

  
_She heard the second hit before she felt it, it echoed throughout the room and she heard it come out before she could stop it. “Fire house.”_

  
_She blacked out, praying that a guardian angel was watching over her cubby._  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
It hadn’t taken long for Bella to warm up to Kelly during dinner. She had seen the way both Matt and Stella were with him and she figured that if they could trust him so could she, even if he was 4x her size. Plus, he had been kind to her since the moment they had pulled her out of the house, treating her like a kid and not tip toeing around her like a lot of the other crew were.

  
Bella was still scared though, scared of what would happen next. Ava had warned her that if she was picked up, she would go into the system and that sometimes it was worse than living on the street, Ava had a lot of stories from her years in foster care before she had run away. She had asked Sylvie about what would happen to her and although Sylvie had told her not to worry about it, she couldn’t help but worry about being taken away from her new friends at fifty-one.

  
Everyone was sitting around eating dinner together. Bella sat in the chair between Matt and Sylvie, Stella and Severide sat across from them and the rest of the crew were scattered out either on the other end of the table or on the couch watching tv. They had gotten news from Chief Boden that the storm could go on for some days if the rain, wind and lightning doesn’t let up. They had maintenance working to try and fix the radio line, but they were beginning to think the issue may run deeper, possibly a tower outage that effected the range. Until it was dealt with the firehouse was out of service, which they all hated. 

  
As the lightning and thunder began to pick back up it made Sylvie feel more uneasy. In the last couple hours it had chilled and seemed to be letting up, but now she was beginning to think she may have been to distracted and just wasn’t paying attention, now that she could hear it echo throughout the house she felt her anxiety creep up.   
“Hey Bella, how do you feel about storms?” She heard Matt speak, when their eyes met, she knew he could sense her panic and she gave him a small smile. It was like he could just tell by looking at her, it was one of the reasons why he was such a great captain and friend. 

  
“I like watching the lightning, it looks pretty but I don’t like the thunder. Too loud.” Bella spoke, a mouth full of pasta. It made everyone around her laugh and Sylvie smiled, easing some of the tension from her shoulders. 

  
“I don’t like storms at all, they give me the heebie jeebies.” Sylvie said with a shutter of her shoulders. Just thinking about it gave her an uneasy shiver down her spine. It made her think about all the people struck by lightning every year and the disasters caused by the weather.

  
“The heebie jeebies?” Matt asked, slightly mocking her use of words. Stella and Kelly gave a giggle too until she sent them a playful glare. 

  
“Hey! That’s a completely appropriate phrase.” Sylvie said, a playful pout evident on her face. It caused Matt to smile and shake his head just a little.

  
“You are right, heebie jeebies is a perfectly normal way to explain something.” Matt raised his hands in surrenders but laughed when her pout turned grin as they kept their eyes locked, the other adults and Bella having a giggle too which caused them to break eye contact. 

  
“What do you think Bella? Is heebie jeebies normal?” Sylvie asked, her attention going to the small girl sitting between them. 

“I say heebie jeebies.” Bella said with a shrug, eating more of her pasta. She had almost finished the entire plate that Sylvie had dished up for her and was still hungry. Kelly looked at Sylvie with a shocked expression, he had never seen a kid eat so much. 

  
They were all so busy with their banter and conversations that they hadn’t noticed the door to the tarmac open and two hooded figures enter the common room. It was only when one of them cleared their throats that everyone looked over. Herrmann was the first to jump up to great the men. 

  
“Uhh hi guys, can we help yous with anything?” Herrmann asked, standing in front of the men. 

  
No one had noticed at first how Bella shrunk back and down into her seat, trying her hardest to appear invisible at the sight of the men who she clearly recognised. They were to focus on the two men who had come in out of the rain. 

  
“Uhm yeah, Ava said we could find our little sister here. Her names Bella.” The first man spoke, he had taken his hood off to reveal his greasy black hair. His face was unshaven, and he looked like your typical offbeat wannabe, except there was something different about him. He really gave Sylvie the heebie jeebies. 

  
It made Sylvie’s eyebrows furrowed and she looked down, shocked at the site of Bella. Her face had gone pale and she was trying her hardest to hide under the table. Kelly, Matt and Stella noticed the same thing. They all realised that something must be wrong, but they couldn’t quite put there finger on it. Not until Sylvie heard those words.

  
“Where’s our sister? She also goes by cubby.”

  
Sylvie’s eyes grew wider and she reached for Bella, picking her up and protectively shielding her with her own body. Matt and Kelly stood up and moved to stand in front of Sylvie and the child, protecting them.

  
“They’re not her family- they’re the ones who tried to buy Bella!”


	6. Little girl

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING; MENTIONS OF ABUSE

_One by one the nurses began rushing in, not noticing the men who had just slipped out of the girls room. One went straight over to check Ava’s blood pressure and another grabbing the sedative to calm her down. Ava was frantic, trying (and failing) to unhook herself from all the machines connected to her. She needed to protect Bella. She knew if she didn’t do something then something bad would happen._

  
_Dr. Natalie Manning came into the room and straight over to the bed, she began assessing Ava. Unsure of what had made her freak out so suddenly with what seemed to be no trigger. “Ava? Ava, sweetie, what happened? I’m going to need you to calm down or we’re going to need to give you something.” She spoke stern but caringly. She understood the young girl had been through a lot but if she didn’t calm down it could cause more damage to her brain bleed that they were waiting to fix._

  
_“The men, they were here. They’re going to get Bella!” Ava cried out, her hands coming up and covering her face as she wiped her tears that continued to flow. “I’m so stupid! I told them she went with the firefighters! I was meant to protect her!” She sobbed, running her hands up and grabbing chunks of her hair. That was when Natalie saw the bruise forming on the 16-year-olds cheek, one that wasn’t there before._

  
_Natalie turned to Maggie who was still preparing the sedative just outside the door and yelled to her. “Call Sergeant Voight! Tell him and his team they need to get to firehouse 51 IMMEDIATELY!”_  
\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
“Listen lady, I don’t know what that girl told you but we’re taking our sister.” The first guy said harshly, stepping forward while keeping his eyes locked on Sylvie’s, obviously trying to intimidate her. 

  
Sylvie didn’t flinch though, her own eyes pointing daggers at the men in front of her as she held her ground. There was no way they were brothers, and if they were then they obviously had two VERY different parents. Her eyes shifted to the second guy who stood slightly behind the first, his hair was longer than the first and was bright orange, but he looked just as nasty as the first. 

  
“Now, I’m not gonna ask you again. Hand the kid over.” The first guy hissed as Sylvie’s eyes joined him again. He was only roughly ten steps away from her, but she wasn’t scared, not for herself at least. She could see Matt and Kelly inching closer out of the corner of her eyes. Stella stood beside her but still slightly in front, using her body to shield Bella from the mans view just long enough for Kelly to take her from Sylvie’s arms to keep her out of harms way. 

  
“No.” Sylvie stated firmly, her heart was pounding in her ears and she could feel her adrenaline pumping. She suddenly had a flash back to the shower room, seeing Bella’s bruised little body. It made her see red. Suddenly she yelled, lunging forward only to be held back by Stella. “How dare you!?”

  
The guy jumped slightly, taking a step back out of her reach as a sly grin crossed his face. “So, the brat told you huh?” He let out a laugh as he looked back to his partner then back at Sylvie, his voice made her feel ill. “What? You wanna trade places with her, pretty thing? There’s enough of us to go around.”

  
“She’s a child you freaking pervert!” Sylvie yelled as she fought hard against Stella, she wanted to belt the crap out of this guy. Make him feel the pain he had made Bella feel. Tears were stinging Sylvie’s eyes, not from sadness but from rage. She couldn’t believe what he was saying, in front of a room full of witnesses. “How could you do that!? To a innocent little girl! Did you see her ribs after what you did to her!? Did you see the bruises you left?”

  
Sylvie felt the angry tears slide down her cheeks, they were hot against her cold skin. She saw the look on the partners face, she could tell he had no clue what the first guy had done to Bella. She had read the name embroiled on his shirt it read ‘Tom’, she knew they were stupid but to come with his name on his shirt was a new level. 

  
“She’s just a baby! Do you hear what your partner did? Self-loathing! Dirty! Disgusting! That is what your partner made her feel.” Sylvie yelled, this time at Tom. It shocked a few of her work colleagues. They knew Sylvie as the sweet, all forgiving, god loving girl, but she was going off. She felt a familiar hand on her shoulder and quickly looked over at Casey who looked at her concerned, it made her take a shakey breath and try calm herself down, even just a little but every time she felt a little calmed she remembered Bella’s sweet face, her little smile and her laugh and it made her furious again.

  
“Jimmy, maybe we should just go.” Tom muttered from the back, it was obvious he wanted no part in this anymore and wanted to split.

  
That was when Jimmy finally noticed Kelly trying to exit the room secretly with Bella, it was then he reached into him pocket and pulled out something shiny. It was only when Boden suddenly charged into the room and stood beside Sylvie and Stella that they heard what it was.

  
“HEY! Drop the switch blade and you can walk out of here.” Boden’s voice suddenly came bounding through the house and it visibly shook the offenders. Seeing the look on Bella’s face when he walked past as well as hearing Sylvie’s yelling, he had a pretty accurate idea of what was going on and he was not happy. 

  
“We are NOT letting them walk out of here Chief!” Sylvie all but yelled, shock written over her face at even the suggestion. She wanted to keep Bella safe of course but she also wanted these men brought to justice, Bella wouldn’t be safe until they were.

  
Suddenly they heard the sounds of sirens coming closer, the look of panic across the men’s face gave Sylvie the tiniest bit of joy but it was soon stripped away when Jimmy smirked and put his blade away. 

  
“We’ll be back sweet thing, just you count on it.” And with that both men exited in a hurry and it felt like everyone could breath again. 

  
Sylvie spun around quickly her body was still shaking from the rage, adrenaline and fear. Her first thought being Bella, but she knew if she saw her like this it would just freak the young girl out. She had an instinct to protect the girl she had only met only earlier in the day. She knew she was in trouble for how much she already adored the young girl and wanted the best for her. 

  
As she turned, she locked eyes with Casey who just looked at her concerned, his eyes were teary too but then she looked around and saw tears in almost everyone else eyes too. It made Sylvie finally feel herself begin to break, her lip began to quiver, and she felt her eyes tear again.

  
“I just-I need a minute.” She tried to speak but it came out in barely a whisper before she slipped out of the room and down the hall into the bunks. It was there that she finally let herself break, she all but fell down onto her assigned bed but she barely felt her butt touch the mattress before she was pulled into someone’s strong arms. She wrapped her arms around said persons neck and began crying into their shoulder/neck, unable to control herself as all her emotions came out. She hated what had happened to Bella, she hated knowing these men were still out there and could come back at any time. She hadn’t realised who she had been hugging until he began to speak, telling her she was okay and to let it out. 

  
“Matt?” Sylvie mumbled, pulling back slightly to look at him. They locked eyes and she suddenly felt her pulse skyrocket, this time from a good reason. They were only inches apart, his eyes dropped to her lips and when they returned her eyes did the same. They leaned forward slowly; her eyes began to flutter shut but just before their lips could touch, they heard a familiar voice calling their names from around the corner. 

  
Sylvie instantly pulled back and Matt did too a blush flushing over both their cheeks. She looked down and turned her head, she saw Kelly placing Bella down on the ground. Bella came barrelling towards them, arms open and fresh tears falling down her face. Kelly retreated back to the common room to talk to Detective Jay Halstead and Detective Hailey Upton.

  
“Sylvie… Matt…” Bella hiccupped, falling into their arms. Sylvie picked her up and held her close, rocking her back and forth while Matt rubbed a soothing hand up her back and made soothing shushing sounds. 

“Your okay baby, it’s okay. I’ve got you now.” Sylvie said warmly, as she leaned against Matt, his unoccupied arm wrapping back around her shoulder to comfort her too. It felt calming, like it was meant to be. She almost let herself wonder into the what ifs when Stella appeared.

  
“Hailey and Jay want to speak with you guys, is that okay?” Stella asked awkwardly, feeling like she had interrupted a secret moment. “I can ask them to wait a bit?” 

  
“No, no its okay. Could you send them in here? I don’t want a crowd when I’m looking like this.” Sylvie made a gesture to her face and Stella smiled, shaking her head as she disappeared back around the corner. 

  
“Well, if I can just point out, I’ve never seen someone so cute get so feisty before.” Matt said, causing a laugh from both Bella and Sylvie. Sylvie looked back up at him and smiled, her eyes trailed back down to his lips before she bit her own and looked back down at Bella. 

  
“Just protecting our precious Teeny.” Sylvie leaned down and kissed Bella’s head, the young girls eyes began to droop, and she yawned. That’s when Sylvie began singing ‘You were mine’ by the Dixie chicks, it was a song that always calmed her down, it always made her feel better. It shocked Matt slightly at how well she could sing, he figured it was just one more thing that made him excited to learn about her.

  
She didn’t stop singing up until Hailey and Jay came into the room. Both Matt and Sylvie stood up, she looked down at Bella and saw she was asleep. She laid her down in her own bed before she turned to the detectives. 

  
“I will tell you anything you need to know, but you can’t take her away from me. Not until those men can’t hurt her anymore.” Sylvie said sternly, a side of her that neither detective had seen from her before. They were used to her being sweet, they hadn’t met protective Sylvie before. She saw Hailey nod first as she pulled out her phone.  
“Let me make a call, ill see what I can do.”

  
And with that Hailey walked off, phone to her ear and pulling more strings then she knew she had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope you are enjoying this!  
> Please give me feedback :) It helps to show what I'm doing write or wrong.   
> Thank you all so much!!!


	7. Security

Sylvie stood at the window facing out into the bunk room. She was listening to everything that was being said but she wasn’t participating actively in the conversation. Her eyes were staying on the little girl asleep in her bed. Hailey’s words running through her head about Bella’s parents. 

  
After learning Bella’s full name Boden had called Voight and given him what he needed to start a case, try to find anything they could on Isabella Prince or her parents. But now as Hailey and Jay sat here and explained everything, she kind of wished they couldn’t find anything.  
What they had found was heart breaking. 

  
Bella’s father was on the run for multiple charges relating to child abuse, child neglect, drug abuse and a list of maybe a dozen more. Her mother was a junkie who watched whatever went on in the house and did nothing. Child Protective Services had arrived at the house over eight months ago to collect the young child only for the parents to tell them she wasn’t there, making up a different array of lies before the father slipped up and said she was staying at his friends “Ramone’s”. 

  
Ramone was a drug dealer who was known to police for many different crimes but none they could make stick. When the police raided Ramones house, they found traces of children but no child present. The investigation had gone cold only 3 months after it had started and had been waiting for new leads until Boden called up. It re-opened the case and Voight had it bumped up to Intelligence so his team could work on it specifically. 

  
A tear slipped down Sylvie’s cheek as she thought about what this child must have dealt with for the past 8 months, how unsafe she must have felt not knowing where she was going to sleep or when her next meal should be. No six-year-old should have to deal with that ever, in fact, no one should. She slowly wiped the tear from her face and turned around, taking a seat back down besides Casey opposite of Hailey and Jay.

  
“So, what’s the go plan? These men, were they apart of Ramone’s crew? Or did the parents send them?” Matt spoke as he looked at Sylvie, trying to read her face. He reached over and placed his hand on top of hers, she quickly flipped it over and held his hand. He gave it a squeeze.

  
It didn’t go unnoticed by the detectives in front of them, but they ignored it. “We’re gonna run their faces through facial rec, see if they have any previous chargers. But we do have a lead...” Hailey said, clenching her jaw in disgust at what she was about to say. “Burgess and Rojas went and spoke to Ava, she said they were being auctioned to be sold. There’s evidence to believe these men were trying to buy either Ava or Bella and weren’t happy when their merchandise went missing.” 

  
Sylvie shook her head as she looked at Matt, she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. How could anyone want to do this to such young girls. Sylvie made a mental note that she needed to go see Ava and thank her for everything she had done for Bella. It took a lot of guts to stand up to grown men, especially ones who plan to hurt them.   
“What did they plan to do with them after the brought them?” Sylvie said, almost to afraid to ask. She was usually the optimistic type, the one who saw a bright side in everything but there was no Brightside about buying kids. Even she knew that. 

  
Hailey sighed and shook her head, looking Sylvie in the eye as she reached over and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder giving it a comforting squeeze. “It’s best you don’t know.”

  
Sylvie nodded, locking eyes with Hailey. Almost like making a silent agreement as they then nodded at each other. “You punch them at least once for me when you get them alright?” Sylvie asked, bringing a little bit of humour to a terrible situation.

  
That was when Jay stepped into the conversation, looking between Matt and Sylvie. “I’ll do a little more then punch them.” 

  
As they shook hands and hugged, agreeing that now wouldn’t be the best time to talk to Bella as everything was still raw, they heard a light knock at the door. 

  
They all looked over to see Bella, her little face mushed against the glass. They all let out a light laugh before Matt moved, opening the door and picking up the little girl. “Oh Teeny, you really do know how to make a room smile.” He chuckled, hugging the little girl to him as she suddenly got shy upon noticing the new faces in the room. 

  
Sylvie felt her heart melt, the sight of them and Matt using her nickname for Bella really made today feel better. It reminded her about her conversation with Hailey earlier and she turned back to speak. 

  
“Did you speak to Voight about her situation and staying? At least until the case is over?” She asked nervously, her bottom lip making its way between her teeth as she began to chew on it. She didn’t want to risk the girl being put with a bad family in the system or getting hurt again if the men found her. She knew how bad foster homes could be, especially after everything Gabby had to deal with Louie. 

  
She felt her heart drop slightly at Hailey’s sad eyes, watching her slowly shake her head. “Voight said it wouldn’t be safe for you both. Even with a patrol car outside, staying alone in your place with 1-star security. Maybe if you were staying somewhere that had a doorman or even a roommate but it’s not safe you by yourself.”

  
That was when Matt interrupted, stepping closer into the conversation. “They can stay with Kelly and I. We can protect them and plus Stella is there too. Can’t be more protected than a house of three fire fighters.” 

  
Sylvie looked at him in shock. She knew he was becoming attached to the young girl but she didn’t expect him to offer up his house to the both of them. She knew it was the perfect situation to keep Bella, but she didn’t was him to feel obligated. “No Matt, you don’t have to do that. We can sort something else out.”

  
“Actually, that might work. Voight is big on manpower. He might actually agree to this.” Jay pointed out, even though he was on the receiving end of a glare by Hailey about the sexist comment. Even though she could hold her own, they both knew it was true.

  
“Well its sorted then. Bella and Sylvie will be staying with us until the case is over. Send the CPS worker to my place tomorrow.” Matt said, signing off on it before Sylvie could interrupted again. She couldn’t help the small smile that was on her face at the thought.

  
Like she had only just realised what the whole conversation was about, Bella squealed excitedly. Her arms wrapped around Matt’s neck as she hugged him tightly. She loved staying at the firehouse and feeling the security from all her new friends, but she needed somewhere comfy to sleep that didn’t creak every time she rolled. 

  
“Well, its settled then. We’ll talk to Voight and CPS, give them our flying colours recommendation.” Hailey said with a wink and a nudge of the shoulder as her and Jay made their way out of the room. They all waved at each other and said their goodbyes. Hailey and Jay even getting a high-five and hug from Bella.   
And although Bella didn’t really know what was going on, she knew that it was something good. And she liked it.


	8. Little Questions

When the shift came to an end Sylvie felt a slight panic. She hadn’t spoken to Matt since the meeting with Hailey and Jay, she had been avoiding him a little. She had allowed Bella the opportunity for a full nights rest by bunking out in Emily’s bed which was right next to hers, while Emily slept in the spare bunk. 

Sylvie was having one of the best sleeps she’d had in the past few days, with all the drama going on in her life it felt like she could never really fall asleep and stay asleep and she felt exhausted. It felt good. That was until her alarm erupted next to her stirring her out of her sleep. She rolled over with a groan, smacking her phone with her hand, finally switching off the alarm. She yawned, rubbing her hands over her face as she began to finally wake up. 

She slowly sat up, grabbing her phone and checking the messages that had gathered over the past couple days. She never meant to ignore people, but she also hated being glued to her phone. She took a quick peek over to see if Bella was still sleeping, only to realise she wasn’t in bed. Sylvie finally checked the clock to see it was 7am and second shift would be arriving soon. She had to find Bella before the men came in and freaked her out. 

Scrambling out of bed, Sylvie pulled her sneakers on as she walked, a move she had learnt from years on call. She began looking in every bunk around the room, looking for a mop of brown hair. 

“Bella?” She didn’t want to freak out, but she had to admit, she was freaking out! She had lost a kid, in just 24 hours of having her. She started to hyperventilate at the thought, the whole conversation with Hailey and Jay running through her head, as well as the confrontation that had happened yesterday. She was scared the men may have come back. 

“Bella!?” She called out a little more frantic this time, searching more of the house. As she rounded the corner she bumped into Matt, him barely holding onto the report he was looking over.

“Hey, you alright?” Matt asked, using his empty hand to secure her from falling while his other held his reports. “What’s wrong?” 

Sylvie began stuttering slightly, frantically looking around. “I can’t find Bella, I-I was so tired. When I woke up, she was gone.”

Matt placed him report down on the station closest to them, he brought both his hands up to her biceps rubbing them gently. “Brett. Sylvie. Look at me. Calm down.” He says, her eyes instantly locking with his. He gave her a small smile before proceeding. “Bella is with Severide. She woke me up at 6am and ask for Kelly. He’s making her breakfast.” 

Sylvie let out a laugh, short at first before breaking into hysterics until tears were rolling down her face. Matt was looking at her like she was crazy, but she didn’t care. She had been so scared that something had happened she was sure if she didn’t laugh, she would be crying, plus she thought her aeroplane mom moment was kind of funny. She looked up at Matt as she began to calm down, wiping the tears from her eyes and face. 

“Woah, sorry.” She said, huffing a little as she smiled.

“No, its okay. You just shocked me is all.” Matt said, letting out a small chuckle of his own as his hands finally returned to his sides. “Come on, let’s go see Bella.”

As they entered the kitchen it was like nothing else mattered to Bella, once her eyes were on Sylvie her face lit up and she was running full speed at her with her arms open. Sylvie laughed at the gesture and picked her up, hugging her and kissing her cheek. 

“G’morning Sylvie! My Kelly and I made pancakes!” Bella exclaimed excitedly, residue from the pancakes and syrup still on her chubby cheeks and chin. For the past hour Bella and ‘her Kelly’ had cooked pancakes, cut up some fruit and drank hot chocolate together to everyone’s amazement, even Stella’s. It had been one of the first times a lot of the crew had seen Severide cook. 

It made Sylvie smile, to see the drastic change in personality the girl had had in 24 hours. “Wow! Aren’t you lucky?” Sylvie smiled again; it was hard not to with this kid around. Bella nodded. “Did you say thank you to Kelly?” 

“Thank you, Kelly.” Bella repeated, her head falling down onto Sylvie’s shoulder who then rested her head on Bella’s. Matt’s hand still not having really left Sylvie’s back since the hallway.

“Am I the only one who thinks this is whack?” Gallo spoke up, breaking everyone out of their trance of staring the three in the middle of the room to give him a questioning look. “Come on, I’m not the only one who see’s it! Y’all look like a family.”

And to there shock it was Matt who turned slightly, looking at Bella and Sylvie then back at Gallo with a simple. “We do. Text me when you’re ready to leave, ill grab a booster.” Before he smiled at Sylvie and retreated back to his report. Taking it to chief Boden and grabbing the space booster. 

A blush creeped up on Sylvie’s cheeks, everyone was watching her waiting on her to speak but she was frozen. His reply wasn’t what she expected, not that she had even expected him to reply in the first place. 

She soon kneeled and placed Bella back on the ground, everyone else going back to their usual activities once they realised, she wasn’t going to say anything on the matter. Her heart almost stopped when she heard Bella’s little voice whisper in her ear. 

“Are you going to kiss Matt yet?”

She could hear Stella scoff quite loudly from beside them, her chair being the only one closest to hear the tiny voice. When everyone looked up, she turned it into a cough, playing off like she had chocked on something. She leaned back enough to join the conversation, her signature smirk on her face as she repeated Bella had just said. Only loud enough for them to hear.

“Yeah Brett, are you going to kiss Matt yet?”


	9. Drive

After speaking with Kelly and informing him of the plans Matt had met Sylvie and Bella at his truck. He secured the booster seat in the back for Bella and before long they were safely on their way. They hadn’t discussed where they were going yet, whether it was to Sylvie’s apartment for her to pack some things or straight to his place so they could settle in. 

He knew they needed to go shopping as he knew a six-year-old couldn’t live off beer and take out, plus he knew Sylvie most certainly wouldn’t. He began making a list in his head of all the things she would need, knowing that new clothes were in order.

While tossing up between the two possibilities he ended up crossing out both of them. He did a U-turn and headed back into town towards Chicago Med. He figured with everything Bella had been through it might be comforting to see a familiar face. He looked over at Sylvie and noted the slightly confused expression on her face.

“I know we haven’t discussed where we’re going, but where are we going?” Sylvie questioned, turning her head to look at Matt even whilst his remained securely on the road ahead. 

“I thought we could take Bella to see her friend, If that’s okay with you?” Matt asked back, glancing at her briefly and then back at Bella in the mirror before his eyes returned to the road. He was a pretty cautious driver when he had children in the car, he had been told it by his sister many times when he drove her and his niece around.

His kind gesture caused Sylvie’s heart to swell. She had never seen this side of Casey before, barely having seen him around kids. “Yes, of course. That sounds great. Then maybe some new clothes?”

Matt nodded in response, the conversation over for now as they pulled into the hospital parking lot. Even though Bella was still wearing the Chicago fire top and jumper she looked adorable. Stella had put her brown hair in pig tails while Sylvie had slept, and the look really complimented the young girls face. 

They all got out of the car and began walking inside. Bella, who was between the two, held the hand of each adult. She knew they were at a hospital and what they were for, but she hadn’t really been listening in the car, so she was a little nervous about being here. She felt Sylvie release her hand and she pouted in confusion as she watched Sylvie walk up to the nurses station. 

Matt felt a small tug on his shirt which caused him to look down, then kneel at the sight of a nervous Bella. “Hey kiddo, you okay?” He asked, concerned. He had always loved kids, had always wanted some of his own but he felt like the world was dealing against him, especially about kids. Three different times the world has shut down his plans of fatherhood, first with Hallie not wanting kids, then Gabby’s miscarriage and later Louie’s adoption being cancelled he genuinely felt like he was never going to be a dad. Spending the last day with Bella helped open his mind to some new possibilities but also some old heart break. 

“I’m scared… I don’t want to leave you or Sylvie…” Bella whispered as she leaned into his chest, surprising him but seeking the comfort she had missed most of her life. She was worried that this would be the moment they send her back, that the men coming after her might be the last straw.

That was until Matt pulled her close and hugged her, his strong arms wrapping protectively around her small frame. She had never had a positive male role model in her life, and she was beginning to realise that she missed it. 

“Bella, baby. You’re not going anywhere, I promise.” Matt pulled her back so he could look into her eyes, let her know he was telling the truth. “We’re just here so you can see Ava.”  
Unaware that Sylvie had come back over Bella jumped when she felt a hand run over and through her ponytail. She had heard everything Matt had said, and she couldn’t agree more. “Come on Bell. Let’s go see Ava.”   
\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
When they finally arrived at Ava’s room Bella hesitated to go inside. Sylvie and Matt had told Bella more of what had happened at the accident site as well as the men coming to the hospital. There were now uniformed police at the door to her room and it surprisingly calmed Bella. She knew now that they were the good guys, having had Sylvie explain to her about how they were their friends after her minor freak out over being told she would need to speak to Detective Hailey Upton once she was ready. 

Once entering the room Bella slowly walked over to the hospital bed where Ava laid, she looked peaceful even hooked up to the monitors and drip. Ava’s eyes began to fluttering at the noise of the chair being pulled next to the bed, giving Bella the height to climb up and onto the bed. 

“Avie? Avie, wake up.” Bella whispered, her voice breaking as her emotions came to the surface. She leaned forward and tugged at the older girls arm gently, receiving a light groan in return.

“Careful Cubby, I’m a bit sore.” Ava said softly, her arms opening for Bella who this time didn’t hesitate to lay next to Ava, her head on her chest.

This kind of affection was the norm for Bella, this was something she had missed. Although she loved the affection she got from both Matt and Sylvie the way Ava hugged her was the different in a sense. It was like the first time they ever hugged, the hug that reminded her she was a person. 

“I missed you Ava. I didn’t have anyone to protect me, but then Matt came in. He found me in the empty spaces of the wall. He gave me to Sylvie; you should have seen her when the men came Ava. She’s a lot like you.” Bella rambled, her head still against Ava’s chest. Not daring to move yet in case something went wrong. She didn’t move until she felt something splash against her hair, then again on her forehead. She looked up only to realise Ava was crying.

“I’m sorry Isabella. I promised to protect you from them, but I lead them straight to you.” Ava cried, wrapping her arms around Bella and holding her tight. She hated feeling like she let her down, even though she had helped by getting help. 

“No Ava its okay.” Bella said, sitting up to look at Ava, her back now to Matt and Sylvie as she stated matter of fact. “Sylvie protected me.”

Sylvie’s face broke out into a big grin, she looked up at Matt who was smiling too. He wrapped his arm around the back of her shoulders and pulled her to him, hugging her as he whispered into her ear jokingly. “Mama Sylvie to the rescue.”

It caused her to burst out laughing, surprisingly herself and him, as well as the two girls on the bed. “Sorry.” She mumbled, a blush creeping up on her cheeks. Matt chuckled at her response.


	10. Check up

Stepping out of the hospital room Sylvie was finally able to take a breath. Matt had left a few minutes earlier to go and find a doctor and Ava and Bella were discussing what had happened in the past few days, it made Sylvie feel out of place, like she was eavesdropping on a private conversation. 

She leaned up against the wall next to the door and closed her eyes, figuring she could relax for a minute before Matt to return with the doctor. She had thought finally getting a moment to herself would help to relax a bit and take her mind off the situation she was putting herself in, but she was wrong. Her mind kept replaying the moments between her and Casey and what Stella had said. She was beginning to hope maybe there was something between them, that this could finally be the thing that shows if he likes her the way she likes him.

Sylvie was pulled from her thoughts when she heard Matt and Dr Manning’s voices approaching. She opened her eyes and pulled herself off the wall, trying to look the least bit presentable by the time they returned. 

“Hey Nat. Any new on Ava?” Sylvie asked, her focus being switched from herself to the doctor. She was grateful to be able to put her mind to something different.

“Hey! We managed to stop her brain bleed without needing surgery. We’re monitoring it and waiting for any major changes.” Nat said, looking between Matt and Sylvie then into the room where Bella and Ava sat. “Is that Bella? We’ve all heard nonstop about her.”

Sylvie looked over her shoulder at Bella with a smile breaking out before she looked back at Natalie. “It sure is. Would you mind looking her over really quick? She seems okay but we just wanted to make sure.” Sylvie asked as she crossed her arms and bit her lip. Natalie had become a friend of the department. They were all pretty close and she knew how much Natalie loved kids. It was the main reason she became doctor. 

“Of course.” Natalie responded almost immediately, throwing her a reassuring smile. “I’m sure she’s fine Syl, but ill check her out none the less. 

Matt opened the hospital door for both girls before following them inside, he shut it once they were all inside, thankful for the privacy. Sylvie had made her way over to one side of the bed and Natalie walked to the other, Matt stood at the end.

They could tell immediately how nervous Bella was by the way she moved towards Sylvie and away from Dr. Manning. It made Sylvie’s heart swell to know she was Bella’s new safe space but also sad by the look on Ava’s face at the realisation. She sent the girl a soft smile, to let her know she was sorry. 

“Why don’t we go to an empty exam room huh?” Natalie asked, knowing she would have to ask some uncomfortable questions and she didn’t want her feeling uncomfortable around anyone in the room. She watched Bella shake her head and clutch to Sylvie, not wanting to let her go. “Sylvie can come too; it can just be us?” 

At that Bella nodded slowly, still weary of the though but knowing Sylvie would be there helped calm her nerves some. Sylvie picked her off the bed and stepped around the bed, she brushed Matt’s shoulder gently as they made their way out of the room. Whispering to him that they would be back, it gave him time to ask Ava a few questions and thank her for protecting Matt. 

As they walked down the hall Sylvie whispered reassuringly to Bella, telling her about how Natalie (Dr. Manning) was a very good friend and a very good doctor. It did little to still the girls nerves, still unsure about new people. It was a plus that Natalie was female though, it made it easier to form a trust with her. She knew doctors were meant to be nice and that she could trust Sylvie’s word but with everything she had been through it took a little to build up a relationship with someone.

As they entered the room Sylvie placed Bella on the bed who was watching Natalie close the blinds. The hospital room was decorated with stickers of different kid shows, it made Bella smile when she saw one, she recognised. 

“Alright Bella. I’m just going to check your breathing okay?” Dr Manning asked, bringing her stethoscope up and checking her lung sounds and heart. Once that was over, she hung it back around her neck and pulled out her light. “Well they both sound great! Mind if I check your eyes?”

Bella nodded yes and Natalie turned it on, checking for pupil response. Both eyes measured good. Next, she checked the young girls blood pressure.

“Well Bella, you see like a very healthy little girl.” Natalie smiled, grabbing a lollipop out of her white coat pocket and handing it to Bella who took it gratefully. Eating it almost immediately. “Sylvie, mind if I talk to you outside for a second?”

With a nod they headed outside, standing within site of Bella but far enough so she couldn’t hear them. “On the outside she seems fine, her weight is pretty low, so I’d recommend feeding her small portions multiple times a day. Definitely see a nutritionist if you have her long term.”

“Long term? No, we’re just keeping her until this case is over. I don’t even think they’d let us keep her.” Sylvie said looking at Bella with sad eyes. She had always wanted to be a mother and she wasn’t against adopting, considering she had been adopted herself, but she knew with her job she would never get approved unless the case was time sensitive.

“Sylvie, I’ve known you for 5 years and I have never seen you look at something with so much love, well besides one thing.” Natalie said with a wink, causing Sylvie to break out in a blush. She was relieved when she heard Bella call out for her, leaving her with an exit before she dug herself into a hole. How was it everyone knew about her crush for Matt before she even did?

Bella raised her arms up as soon as Sylvie entered the room and she picked her up, placing her on her hip. Some would say Bella was to old to be held like this, but she was so tiny and hopeful that it made it easy for Sylvie to show her the affection. When Natalie told them, they were right to go Sylvie made her way back to Ava’s room, walking in to find Matt and Ava laughing.

“And like we didn’t already know, Bella is perfect.” Sylvie stated, tickling Bella’s side to made her laugh. She liked the way Ava smiled when she saw Bella smiling, it shows how much she cares for her.

“We should probably head out, go get Teeny some new clothes.” Matt said almost reluctantly as he walked over to Sylvie, talking Bella when she reached out for him. He stepped back towards the door, watching Bella wave to Ava who waved back. “We’ll meet you at the car. Give you two a moment to talk.” 

Once he exited the room Sylvie stepped closer to the bed and sat down, taking Ava’s hand which was stretched out. She had been planning on how to thank the girl since Matt had mentioned they were coming here but as she sat here her mind was coming up blank. She was kind of shocked to hear Ava say it first. It was a simple thank you but it made Sylvie look up and really see the emotions in Ava’s eyes.

“Thank you for taking care of her, for showing her the world isn’t all bad. I tried so hard but I’m just a kid, ya know?” Ava began crying, a different girl to who was tough just minutes ago. She felt better, finally being able to let her emotions out. She had tried to be strong around Bella and to protect her but it was getting hard being just a teen herself.

“No no no no, thank you Ava. You protected her so well.” Sylvie said, her own eyes filling with tears. “You have been the only thing constant in her life these past few months. You taught her so much.”

Ava nodded and squeezed Sylvie’s hand gently, bringing her free hand up to wipe her face. She loved how Matt and Sylvie were with Bella, how they acted like a family. “Please don’t leave her.” Ava said softly, her lip quivering as she spoke. The last thing she wanted was for Bella to go through the heart break of being left again. 

“I’ll try my hardest, okay? I’ll try.” She promised the only thing she could. She slowly stood, knowing she needed to leave and go meet Matt and Bella, but she didn’t want to leave Ava upset. 

“Thank you, now you better go. Don’t wanna keep your man waiting.” Ava smiled and let go of Sylvie’s hand. Sylvie’s heart almost stopped, before blushing. She felt like she had been doing a lot of that lately. 

“Oh n-no, he’s not my man.” Sylvie let out an awkward laugh as she moved towards the door, trying to exit before she could embarrass herself. 

“Oh really? The way he was talking about you when you left, I thought you two were together. Sorry about that.” Ava chuckled, waving to Sylvie as she made her way out the door slightly in shock.

She was curious now to what they had spoken about while they were gone. She made it a plan to try get it out of him.


	11. walmart

It wasn’t until they exited the parking lot of the hospital that Sylvie truly realised the damage the storm had caused. There were men working on trees down on the side of the road, the gutters were filled with debris and overflowing with water and there was damage around every corner. She had been so focused on Bella and so secluded within the fire house to really notice the outside, even on the drive here she had focused on Matt.

As they stopped at a red light, she turned to Matt slightly, enough so that she could look at him but also peer over at Bella in the backseat. “I was thinking maybe we could head to Walmart and pick up some things? Clothes at least so she’s not just repping the CFD.” Sylvie said sending a wink over to Bella who giggled.

Matt nodded in agreement, changing his direction to now head to Walmart. It wasn’t far and would only take them maybe 10 minutes to get there. “Sure, that sounds great. We need to do some grocery shopping too.” 

Sylvie nodded her head; she didn’t know what else to say so they sat in a comfortable silence for the rest of the way. They could hear Bella in the back singing along to the radio and it made them both smile, knowing they were doing something right.

When they pulled into the parking lot Sylvie was the first to unbuckle her seatbelt, she grabbed her purse from the ground of his truck before turning to him. “First off, I’m gonna take Bella straight to the kids sections and grab a outfit in her size. The last thing we need is people staring.”

Matt nodded, understanding her reasoning and agreeing to it. He didn’t want any unwanted attention being put on Bella and he knew the last thing she needed was strangers staring at her. “Great idea, I’ll grab a trolley and look through the aisles.” 

They both nodded and got out of the car. Matt helped Bella out and held her hand, leading her safely across the road with Sylvie on the other side of Bella. He let go of her hand once they were safely inside of Walmart and went over to grab a trolley, watching Sylvie instruct Bella to follow her.

Bella and Sylvie made there was into the kid section of Walmart, they headed straight over to the winter sections and Sylvie picked out a pair of grey trackpants, a long sleeve shirt paw patrol shirt and a hoodie. They headed over to the shows and Sylvie grabbed some socks and a pair of boots. “Look good enough?” Sylvie asked Bella holding up the set, Bella nodded and held up both thumbs, excited to be getting new clothes.

“I’ve never had new clothes before..” Bella said casually behind Sylvie as they headed to the check out, Sylvie frowned as she handed the clothes to the checkout lady before she bent down and smiled, one that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

“Well, now you will teeny.” Sylvie let out a slight humph as Bella jumped into her, wrapping her arms around her neck and hugging her harder than before. It made Sylvie smile for real this time. She hugged Bella back until she heard the checkout lady clear her throat. 

Sylvie stood back up and smiled awkwardly, grabbing out some cash and handing it to her. She took the clothes and Bella’s hand, taking her to the bathroom and helping her change her clothes. She stood back slowly and smiled, happy that all the clothes fit Bella.

“Wow Isabela! You look fantastic!” Sylvie exclaimed, moving forward and picking her up so she could see herself in the mirror. Sylvie locked eyes with her in the mirror and smiled, the look on Bella’s face enough to brighten her mood from the earlier conversation. 

She placed her back down on the ground and grabbed the CFD merch off the ground before leading Bella out of the bathroom and back to the front of Walmart. Sylvie grabbed out her phone and texted Matt, asking where he was. 

“Matt!” Bella squealed running back into the store and over to Matt whose trolley was no longer empty. It was now filled with multiple different foods, some prepacked and some fresh fruits and vegetables. He had texted Stella and Kelly to see what they needed but most of it was for them. 

As Sylvie walked over to them, she grinned at him, shocked by how much he had grabbed in the 10 minutes they had been apart. “You feeding a village, huh?” She teased, having a small look through the trolley.

“Well thought I better stock up. I’ve seen how much you eat at work.” He shot back; a cheeky grin plastered on his face. It made Bella happy to see two adults together and not fighting, like her parents use to. She reached up for Matt who picked her up and placed her in the child seat in the trolley.

“Ha-ha, very funny Matt.” Sylvie said sarcastically, her smile never faltering. She loved having the casual banter between them, it had only started happening over the past couple months, but it made them closer, like they could easily joke with each other. 

“Come on, we still got to pick some more clothes. I’ve got enough food for all use us for a few days, I grabbed the powered donuts you like.” Matt said simply before pushing the trolley back towards the kids section. 

Once they had loaded the trolley with multiple different clothes Bella had picked as well as Matt and Sylvie picking ones they liked they headed to the counter, Sylvie was going to pay but before she could say it Matt had pulled out his card and paid. She was in slight shock that she didn’t say anything until they got back to the car and began unloading the groceries.

“You didn’t have to pay for everything Matt, you’re doing us a huge favour by letting us stay with you. Ill pay you back.” Sylvie stated as she helped unload the groceries, not wanting to leave him to do it himself. She loved how Matt was, he was a picture-perfect guy in every way and sometimes people took advantage of that and she wanted him to know she wasn’t one of them.

Matt placed the last of the bags in the car before turning to her, he smiled and shook his head gently before stepping closer and placing his hands on her upper arms. “Brett, you’re staying with me because I want you too plus you’ve helped us all out more times then we can count without even asking.” He said softly, showing a softer side he did with only his family and close friends. She smiled back and him and blushed, her head dropping slightly as he spoke. “Let me do this for you, both of you. I want to help anyway I can, you mean a lot to me Sylvie.” 

Before she could stop it, a tear slid down her face, it made her laugh. She looked up at him and smiled, nodding her head slowly.

“Thank you, Matt. You have no idea how much this means to me. You’re pretty great too.” She winked, hugging him before she could really think about it. Everything had been going so well with Bella and they were starting to get closer, she just felt like it was the right moment. 

When he wrapped his arms back around her, she smiled, breathing in his scent off his shirt. He rested his head on top of hers and kissed her temple. She was kind of glad they had put Bella in the car first because it gave them the little bit of privacy she wanted, she looked up at him and smiled shyly. There faces were only centimetres apart, their lips the closest. She let out a shaky breath as she leaned closer, their lips almost touching until… *BEEP* ARE YOU LEAVING? *BEEP* 

Sylvie jumped back, hitting the trolley beside the car as she looked to the car before them. Although there were probably 50 other parks this lady of course wanted this one. Matt waved to her nicely before grabbing the trolley and taking it to the rack, his eyes avoiding Sylvie’s awkwardly. 

Sylvie made her move and got in the passenger side of the car, letting out a breath as a blush began creeping over her face. She couldn’t believe she had almost kissed Matt Casey! Although she had wanted to, badly, she didn’t know how this would affect things now. 

But Matt had leant down to kiss her back, right? Or was she imagining it? She left out a frustrated groan as her head hit the head rest behind her. 

“Sylvie? Are you okay?” She heard Bella’s voice behind her, quiet and concerned. With what had just happened she had forgotten about the child in the back. She felt like a horrible person, she had sworn to look after and protect Bella and yet she was letting a boy make her forget all about her. 

Sylvie turned in her seat and put on her biggest smile, looking right into Bella’s eyes as she made her a promise. “Yeah sweet girl, everything’s fine. I got your back okay?” She watched as Bella smiled and nodded, it made Sylvie feel a little bit better. She returned to the correct position in her seat just as Matt opened the door and got in. He looked over at Bella then at Sylvie with a comfortable smile before starting the car and putting his seat belt on. 

“Ready to go?” He asked casually, like nothing had happened or affected him. She gave him a tight-lipped smile and nodded before turning her head and paying her attention out the window.

This was going to be a difficult weekend….


	12. Forehead kisses

After arriving home, they had unpacked groceries from the car, put away the things that needed refrigerating immediately and were now getting ready to show Bella around the apartment. It was pretty big, considering how much Captain and Lieutenants make they were able to get a more upscale place. It was a two-bedroom, two-bathroom lot with a spacious living, kitchen and dinning area, but although it’s big its almost not enough for the four adults and the child. Sylvie wasn’t going to say that though, she could work with this.

As they showed Bella around Sylvie couldn’t help but wish to snuggle up under Matt’s covers and fall asleep. Although she had had a not so bad sleep last night, she was really hitting a wall right now and needed something to distract her. She raised her wrist and looked at the clock, it was almost one. Prefect, she thought, lunch time. 

“Okay you two, I’m going to make some lunch. How does chicken wraps sound, huh?” Sylvie smiled, as she stepped away from them, her hand running over Matt’s back subconsciously as she stepped away to the kitchen. She could hear Bella chanting ‘yum, yum, yum’ from where they sat in the living room before she heard the tv switch on.

Sylvie prepared lunch in twenty minutes, cooking the chicken and then adding the salad and wrapping the wraps. She made some extras and put them in the fridge for Stella and Kelly, not knowing when they’d be back and if they had eaten. 

After placing the plates on the table, consciously placing herself next to Matt with a smile. She headed back though to the lounge room, popping her through the door and smiled at the two who were sitting next to each other watching tv, Bella curled into Matt’s side. “Hey, you two. Lunch is ready.” 

Both heads turned to look at Sylvie, Bella was up first bolting out and sitting down while Matt and Sylvie lingered, not having the chance to really talk yet.   
“Hey, so about the parking lot….” Matt started but Sylvie cut him off, not wanting to make things awkward for him.

“Yeah, that was weird. It wont happened again.” Sylvie laughed awkwardly, bringing her hand up to run through her hair. She hated rejection, even though she was great at masking it, first Antonio, then Kyle and now Matt.

“No-Sylvie, that’s not what I was going to….” She cut him off again, raising her hand as she smiled.

“Matt, it’s okay. You don’t have to explain.” She said, bringing her hands back down as she took a step back and headed to the kitchen. Her smile was fake, her heart cracked slightly. 

“Sylvie! Did ’ya see the news? The storms coming back!” Bella yelled with a mouth full of food, as she watched Sylvie and Matt take their seats. 

Sylvie’s eyebrows furrowed as her attention turned to Matt, her worry about them ceasing as her mind switched focus. “The storm’s coming back?” Her voice wasn’t much more then a whisper, and it broke his heart. She had thought that it was over since it had mostly cleared yesterday, so this news was quite shocking.

“Not the tornado.” Matt stated firstly, knowing it may calm her to know it was just rain and possible thunderstorms. He had gotten a call from Boden letting him know that the trucks were back on service and would be right when they returned after their 48-hour break. He was grateful for the break they got after their 24-hours of work, one of the best reasons of having 3 shift squads. 

“So just the rain?” Sylvie asked hopefully, perking up a little as she picked at her wrap. It was only then that she realised they had both not touched their wraps. She watched Matt’s hand reach over and grab her hand, holding it comfortably.

“No, thunderstorms too. But ill be here. The whole time.” Matt smiled gently, seeing Sylvie smile back at the thought. They let their hands linger for a moment before pulling them away at the sound of the doors opening. He waved awkwardly before he dug into his wrap, eating it slowly, his eyes staying between Sylvie and Bella.

Stella and Kelly came through the door giggling about something said out of earshot, it seemed as though Kelly was telling Stella a story, which in turn had her in hysterics. When they finally made it over to the table they had calmed down, Stella went straight over to Bella and gave her a hug. 

“Hey munchkin, how are you doin?” Stella asked softly, kissing the young girls cheek. Her eyes looked between Matt and Sylvie, noticing the shift in atmosphere but choosing not to say anything, yet. 

“Stella!” Bella squealed excitedly, suddenly remembering everything she needed to tell her. “I got new clothes.” 

Stella mocked a shocked expression, her hands coming up and cupping her cheeks. She loved seeing Bella this way, she thought it was adorable. “No way! You have to show me when you finish your lunch!” 

Sylvie swallowed her mouthful and cleared her throat, bringing the attention from the room to her. “Uh, I didn’t know if you two have eaten so I made extra and put them in the fridge.” Sylvie said, smiling at the look on Stella faces as the gorgeous dark-skinned girl kissed each of Sylvie’s cheeks.

“Sylvie, you are a legend.” Stella mumbled as she made her way over to the fridge. She could hear Kelly laughing from behind her, but she didn’t care, she was starving. She picked hers up and handed the plate to Kelly before sitting down at the table. 

They all ate together with little disruption. The conversation flowed easily as they spoke about work, the storm and what they were going to be doing for the mock weekend. Bella had finished and grabbed her new colouring book before returning back to the table. It wasn’t until her phone buzzed that Sylvie realised, they had been sitting at the table for a little under two hours. 

After clearing the table Stella and Kelly headed to their bedroom, vowing to catch up on some missed sleep before they headed out to Molly’s bar for the night. Matt took his seat on the couch with a beer, watching a random hockey game that played out on tv. Bella continued to colour. Sylvie thought it was perfect time to slip out to her place and pack a bag, she let Matt and Bella know before heading out the door.

After arriving to her own place, she was finally able to take a breath. Everything with Matt felt like it was flying, and god did she want it to, but she didn’t want to ruin things with him. She wished she had let him talk before lunch, but she was so nervous about being rejected again that she cut the conversation off completely.

“Stupid Sylvie.” She muttered to herself as she grabbed her suitcase out and packed it accordingly. She packed two sundresses just in case as well as her warm clothes and pyjamas. Lastly, she grabbed her slippers and charger and headed to the door. After packing her case in the trunk of her car she headed back over to Matt’s, praying for some strength to get through the next couple days with an ounce of self-control.

When she arrived back to his house, she knew any self-control she had had disappeared at the sight of him, especially this one. Matt laid on the couch with Bella’s head on his chest, his arms around her as they slept peacefully. She grabbed her phone out and snapped a picture, admiring it for a second before she placed her things down and grabbed the throw blanket off the back of the couch and placed it over them.

“Sleep tight.” Sylvie mumbled as she leaned down, placing a kiss to Bella’s head and then one to Matt’s, her lips remaining on his head for a second longer before grabbing her things and taking them to Matt’s room out of the way.

With her back to him she couldn’t see his eyes open slowly and a smile spread across his face as he watched her retreat to the bedroom. His last thought before he drifted off back to sleep was ‘I could get use to this.’


	13. Break

The hours went by quickly once she got home. Sylvie tidied up a bit while waiting for Matt and Bella to wake up, which ended up being all the kitchen. Kelly and Stella got up and left around 5, stating Stella having a shift at the bar tonight and had to wait for delivery and Kelly was going to keep her company. It was a little after they left that Bella walked into the kitchen, doe eyed and sleepy as she rubbed her eyes. It took Sylvie a second to realise she was looking for her. 

Making her way around the centre island Sylvie smiled, kneeling down and opening her arms to the girl. “Hi sweet princess, how was your nap?” Sylvie asked as she embraced her, picking her up for a cuddle before sitting her on the bench in front of her. 

“Good.” Bella mumbled hoarsely, a yawn escaping her mouth before she could stop it. She opened her mouth again but closed it, like she was trying to think of what she was going to say as to not blurt anything out. “Vee, can we go to the park, please?” 

Sylvie looked down at her watch, it only read 5:17 which meant they had a little while until the sun would go down and the storm was meaning to start. She had looked it up while they were sleeping, trying her best to get as knowledgeable so she wouldn’t freak out once it started. It had only been marked a category 1 unlike the one yesterday which had been marked a category 3 and it wasn’t meant to start until 9pm that night but she didn’t really want to risk it.

“Why don’t you go wake Matt and see what he thinks?” Sylvie smiled, picking the girl off the bench and placing her down. All the sleepiness had disappeared from Bella as she made her way back towards the living room, it made Sylvie giggle at the sight before she slowly followed behind the girl to watch their interactions.

“Matty? Matt?” Bella nudged his shoulder gently at first, then a little harder as she tried to wake him. She didn’t want to do it too hard in case he got mad at her. “Wake up Matt.”

Bella leaned down and began poking his cheeks, her grin growing as he finally began to wake. “Matt! You’re waking! Vee I woke him!!” Bella called, not realising she was at the door watching them. 

Matt groan softly as he sat up, his hand coming up and rubbing over his face to try and regain some strength. The nap was meant to help refresh him and keep him going but it ended up just making him more tired. He turned to Bella and smiled. “What’s up munchkin?”

“Can we go to the park!?” Bella asked, jumping up and down in the spot. 

Matt looked at his watch and then out the window, before looking back at the small girl. “It’s not very safe outside right now, but maybe we could go tomorrow or the next day? We don’t know if the storm has affected anything in the park and id hate for you to get hurt. I’m sorry.”

Bella nodded her head in understanding before running off to the corner of the room where all her new toys, books and pencils sat. She decided that she was going to do the next best thing to going to the park, which was drawing the park. 

Matt and Sylvie sat on the couch, their attention split between the tv and watching Bella play. It felt good to be able to relax, it left Sylvie time to imagine what she wanted her life to be like and what it was evolving into. She had always pictured herself married and with kids but as she grew older and relationships failed her dreams of becoming a mother were fading, this gave her an opportunity she didn’t know she needed.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It wasn’t until later that night after dinner when Bella was asleep on the couch, wrapped tightly in a blanket that Sylvie began to think about where she would sleep. Usually she’d sleep on the couch but there wasn’t enough room for her and Bella together and with Stella and Kelly taking up the other bedroom there wasn’t any room for her. She began to think about alternatives, maybe she could put some blankets and pillows in the bathtub and sleep in there? 

“Hey,” Matt looked over at her from the fridge, grabbing out a couple beers and holding one towards her. She took it and opened it swiftly, taking a big gulp. It was just what she needed since the rain was beginning. “So, you can take my bed and ill sleep on the cot in the study.”

Sylvie shook her head, setting her beer down on the table. “No way. I can sleep on the cot.”

Matt chuckled lightly, taking another sip of his beer as he watched Sylvie. “You’re the guest, you shouldn’t be on an old dusty bed.”

“Neither should you, this is your house, I wouldn’t feel right.” Sylvie stated, bringing her hand up and tracing the label on the bottle. Suddenly an idea struck her, probably not the best idea but it could work. “Well, your bed is big enough for the both of us. We could share?” 

His eyebrows shot up as he looked at her in disbelief. The thought of him sharing a bed with Sylvie made him nervous, he was a gentleman of course but he was also a cuddler. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah!” She said, shocking herself by how confident her voice was even though her head was screaming at her, asking her what she was doing and telling her it was a bad idea. “We’re both adults, it’ll be fine.”

Matt looked at her once more before chugging the rest of his beer, once it was done, he nodded. “Okay then, it’s a deal.” He stood up from the chair and rinsed his bottle out before putting it in the recycle. “Do you want to use the bathroom first?”

“No, you go ahead, I’ll go after you.” Sylvie smiled at him as he walked past her. Once he was gone, she dropped her head to her hands and let out low groan.  
What had she gotten herself into?

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Matt didn’t take long in the shower, long enough to wash his hair and body then got out. He exited in pyjama shorts and a t shirt, still towel drying his short blonde hair. He headed into the bedroom and sat on the bed, grabbing his phone from the nightstand and checking his emails. 

“Sylvie,” He called out, indicating he was decent, and it was her turn to shower. When she entered the room, she had her toiletry bag in one hand and her clothes and phone charger in the other. “Showers all yours.” 

Sylvie nodded her thank you as she disappeared into the bathroom and closed the door, she was in there for twenty minutes before she stepped out in an oversized baseball shirt and pyjama shorts. The rain was heavier now, and the thunder echoed slightly through the house, nothing like it was yesterday but she was glad she was staying with Casey. 

“You alright with the left side?” Matt asked, knocking her out of her trance for a second. She had shut off for a second, blaming it on her lack of sleep. 

“Huh?” Sylvie questioned, placing her charger and phone on the bed while she towels dried her hair.

“To sleep, are you okay on the left side?” Matt had already made himself comfortable on the right side, where he usually fell asleep (but always woke up in a different position). He wanted to make it as comfortable as possible and he figured if they kept communicating it would help. 

“Oh! Yeah, no, that’s totally fine. Thank you.” Sylvie said as she hung up her towel before making her way over to her side of the bed, she plugged her charger into the socket and then her phone in. She climbed under the covers and laid down, letting out a breath of relief at the soft mattress that accepted her body. She groaned in satisfaction, her body finally being able to relax. “Your bed is so soft.”

Matt left out a laugh as he got himself comfortable, he placed his phone on the bedside table as he laid down lower, his head finally hitting the pillow. “Yeah it is. Makes it hard to get up some days.” 

“Mm, I can see that happening tomorrow.” She mumbled; her eyes already closed as the exhaustion hit her body. She knew it wouldn’t take her long to get to sleep, she’d be wanting to slip up the covers since she had woken up. 

He admired her soft expression, how calm and peaceful she looked. He was kind of grateful she was so tired because the storm was starting to roll in. He rolled over and switched off the bedside lamp, the room darkening besides the light from the moon and lightning. He could feel the heat radiating from her body and it made him miss sharing his bed with a woman he cared for, as selfish as it was, he hoped nothing happened so he could have this every night.

As he laid on his back and finally closed his eyes, he felt the bed shift under her weight as she rolled, her arm loosely draping itself across his midsection, he took in a deep breath before he relaxed, and sleep began to overtake him.

He could really get use to this.


	14. Afternoon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't expect me to be updating everyday. Especially when I'm barely getting reviews. I'm not going to continiously write if no one is telling me they like it or not.

As the clock grew closer to 6:30pm Sylvie sat out the plates for dinner, she had texted Stella earlier to ask if they would want dinner when they arrived home, but she stated she had already eaten but Kelly would be home soon. She thought it was weird, Kelly coming home and leaving Stella at the bar, but she figured she’d get the full story from one of them. She grabbed out an extra plate and sat it down next to the others before she turned back to the stove. She didn’t hear Matt come in until he spoke, which caused her to jump in her spot before taking a breath and smiling as she turned around. 

  
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you.” Matt said, a smirk on his face. He stood inches in front of her, trying to peer over her to see what she was cooking. It made her laugh, because she knew how he hated not knowing every little detail.

  
“Yeah, you seem so sorry.” She said sarcastically with a winked, turning back around to face the stove so she could mix the pasta sauce around the pan before it could burn. She had gone for a simple spaghetti tonight, knowing how much he loved it from the times she’d cook at the fire house. 

  
“Mhmmm, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were cooking my favourite.” He said softly as he stepped closer, his front brushing against he back as he placed his hands on her hips and looked over her shoulder. He smiled at her shudder but played it off as he was smiling at the dinner.

  
Sylvie held her breath the moment she felt him invade her space, she released it shakily when she felt his hands on her hips, knowing he’d know if she wasn’t breathing with his hands on her. She had multiple things screaming through her head right now. 

  
_Breath Sylvie_

  
_His hands are on your waist, HIS HANDS ARE ON YOUR WAIST_

  
_Do I just stand here? Should I move?_

  
She was starting to regret what she had said during their earlier conversation, she wished she had let him finish what he was going to say and listened, but she was scared then. Not now. Now her skin felt hot, she was blushing, and she wanted to kiss him, tell him she loved him or at least liked him. Instead she continued to stir the pan and mix the noodles.

  
“Where’s Teeny?” She asked quietly, she was enjoying having him in her presence, even just for second until he slipped away to grab the cheese from the fridge.

  
Matt was smiling inside and out, he loved teasing her, he loved the smile she got when they joked around or were even just hanging out. When they were at the bar, he was always sneaking looks at her and she had caught him a few times and gave him an innocent smile, pretending like she hadn’t been doing the same.

  
“She is currently watching some ballerina movie she picked.” Matt said as he grated the parmesan cheese into a bowl, enough for them all. As Sylvie began to serve up the pasta and sauce, they heard the front door open and close. They shared a looked before matt went to investigate, Sylvie turned off the stove first and placed the pot down before she followed a few steps behind. 

  
They hadn’t realised how paranoid they had grown until this very moment, they thought of someone hurting Bella invaded Sylvie’s mind before she could stop it and before she could think a second thought she shoved herself in front of Matt and ran straight into the front room where Bella was located. She made her way straight to her without looking around and scooped her up, holding her to her chest. 

  
“Bella, did you see who came in?” Sylvie asked calmly, finally looking around the room and to the front door but couldn’t see anyone. She looked back at Matt who had followed her in at the same pace one she sped up. 

  
“No... I was watching the movie... I’m sorry...” Bella frowned, burying her head into Sylvie’s neck as she grew scared. She hadn’t been paying attention to anything besides the tv but the sound in Sylvie’s voice made the hairs on her arms stand tall. 

  
Matt moved around them and over to the door, checking the locks. He could see it had been relocked but now the chain was attached too. Only one person in the house did that even when the other members weren’t home.

  
“Kelly?” Matt called out as he made his way over to Kelly bedroom door, he let out a breath when the door opened, and a shirtless Kelly popped his head out. 

  
“Hey! Sorry for not shouting out. Bella was engrossed in her movie and I didn’t know where you two were, all alone.” Kelly winked suggestively which caused Matt to roll his eyes and Sylvie to blush. 

  
She had noticed how alike him, and Stella were about her and Matts relationship. Stella was always bringing up how Sylvie acted towards Matt especially once she learnt about Sylvie crush on Matt. They both loved to tease, it was one of the main reason Stella and Kelly ended up together. 

  
“No, it’s okay. We’re all just a little jumpy after what happened.” Matt stated as he turned back toward Sylvie and Bella, only to realise they had gone. He assumed to the kitchen; he began walking towards the kitchen to before he turned his head back to Kelly. “Dinner is ready. Sylvie made Spaghetti.”

  
And with that he retreated back to the kitchen, helping Sylvie to dish out the rest of the dinner and place it at the table. They all sat and ate together, talking about random and not overly important things, after the scare they didn’t want Bella to overwork her mind again. 

  
By the time they had finished and cleaned up it had hit 8 and Sylvie figured now was probably the perfect time to put Bella to bed. They had just finished doing Bella’s hair in two braids, like her own. Bella had asked to be ‘just like Sylvie’.

  
“Bella, time for bed precious girl.” Sylvie spoke softly, running her hand over the young girls freshly done hair. They could tell Bella was tired by the way her eyes were drooping, even while doing simple things like sitting there while Sylvie brushed her hair. 

  
Bella nodded her head slowly, sliding off the chair and grabbing Sylvie’s hand. “Okay mommy.” She slipped out tiredly, not even realising what she had said. She used her unoccupied hand to rub her eyes sleepily as she followed Sylvie into the living room where Matt had just finished making up the couch bed for her.

  
Sylvie’s heart hadn’t stop thumping through her heart since Bella spoke and she thinks Matt could tell by the way he took over putting Bella to bed. He pulled back the covers enough for Bella to slip in and tucked her in, handing her the new teddy they had brought her and kissed her forehead. 

  
“Goodnight Bella.” They both said simultaneously, both chuckling softly as Sylvie bent down and kissed Bella’s head to. 

  
“Goodnight Matt. Goodnight Sylvie.” Bella said softly as her eyes closed, snuggling underneath the covers as she began to drift off rather quickly. 

  
Matt and Sylvie stood beside each other for a moment watching her. Sylvie bumped her shoulder gently into Matt’s, grinning as she looked up at him and nodded her head towards his room where Sylvie had sat her bags. Sylvie spoke first, grabbing out her toiletries, pyjama shorts and singlet. “Do you mind if I use your shower? I could really use a shower before the storm starts.” 

  
“Yeah of course, right through her.” Matt lead the way to his en suite, swinging the door open and turning the light on to reveal a spacious bathroom that connected to his bedroom. “Feel free to use any of my stuff, I know you have your own but in case you forgot any.”

  
He began to walk away only to be stopped by Sylvie grabbing his arm, she was shaking her head. “Thank you, I know I keep saying it Matt, but I do appreciate it.”

  
Matt laughed slightly, looking over his shoulder at her. He turned his body to face her and smiled. “You’re my guest. Plus, I’m not going to let a pretty girl down. It’ll ruin my reputation.” He winked at her, before turning back towards the cupboard built into his wall. 

  
“I wish you could just sleep with me forever.” She froze at how it came out and she could tell he did too, she started to stutter, embarrassing herself further. Her heart began beating faster and her cheeks pinkened for what felt like the 500th time in the last two days. “I meant stay with me. No! Like, sleep in the bed with me. Next to me. Not together or in the shower.” 

  
Matt laughed and turned back to her shaking his head. He loved when girls got flustered but he didn’t expect Sylvie to look so good. “Um, yeah. I get what you meant. You’re scared of storms. I got your back Sylvie.” 

  
Sylvie nodded her head and shrugged, slowly calming down (on the outside). “I got your back too, Captain.” 

  
She watched him nod his head, she felt relieved knowing she wasn’t putting him out but also nervous for what was to come. “Then it’s final, ill protect you.” And with a wink he sent her way she closed the bathroom door, leaning against it and letting out a shaky laugh. She couldn’t help but think about how much fun Stella is going to have knowing they were sharing a bed and he was ‘protecting’ her. She only just realised she didn’t know how long they would be sharing a bed for and she just hoped she didn’t do anything embarrassing. 

  
She showered and dressed in less then 15 minutes, perks of being an emergency responder was being able to do things very quickly. When she exited the bathroom, Matt was sitting on the bed, on top of the covers, Sylvie could tell he wasn’t wearing a top and it made her heart stop. She walked over and climbed into the other side of the bed, plugging her phone into her charger and then plugging the other end in the wall. 

  
“You heading to sleep?” Sylvie asked quietly, not wanting to shut her lamp off in case he needed more light. She felt the bed shift slightly and she rolled over herself to see what he was doing; she didn’t expect to see him pulling on his pyjama pants and discarding his jeans in the washing basket. She was just grateful he was wearing underwear. She looked up and saw a slight blush on his face and although it was no use, she pretended like she wasn’t looking. 

  
“Uh yeah I am, are you?” He asked, getting back into bed and this time under the covers. He shut his lamp off and curled up under the blanket. He watched her do the same, but she turned her lamp off last. 

  
“Good night Matt.” Sylvie whispered softly, as she rested her head on the pillow. The room was now dark, and she suddenly felt very tired, as she closed her eyes she inhaled deeply. She felt complete calmness at the scent that wafted through her nostril, the same smell that had invaded her in his office. Matt. With that she was off to sleep, before the storm had even started. 


	15. Bedtime accidents

She could hear it, although her head was underneath the blanket, and her heart filled her ears, she could hear the sound that she could only predict as fingernails scraping across the glass outside the windows. She could hear the howling, to loud and scary for her little ears to realise it’s the wind, to close for her to realise it couldn’t hurt her. It was the bang of thunder that caused her feet to hit the floorboards, the flashes of lightning that illuminated the dark, cold room that brought her pace to a run as she dashed for the bedroom. It was the bang of the tree against the glass that caused a short scream then sob to escape her throat as she turned the door handle of room and ran inside for safety, to fast for her little legs to comprehend and she ended up falling onto the group with a loud thud. Here, she laid, hugging herself tightly as she squeezed her eyes shut. Sobbing for her mommy and daddy. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For once in Sylvie’s life it wasn’t the thunder that woke her from her sleep. Although the first thing she noticed when she woke up was the strong warm forearm wrapped around her waist protectively, keeping her warm against the pouring rain that sounded outside. The first thing she heard was the silent sobbing, the whispering of mommy… daddy… that clicked her back into reality and forced her to jump out of bed, switching her lamp on quickly. 

There on the floor laid the tiny 6-year-old, shivering and shaking with fear. Sylvie kneeled onto the floor slowly, trying to speak as softly as she could as to not frighten the girl more. “Bella? Bella, I’m here sweet girl, I’m right here.” Sylvie whispered, bringing her hand up to rest on the girls upper arm. She looked the girl up and down, noting the wet pjs. It was obvious she had wet herself in her scared state. 

Bella rolled over the second she heard Sylvie’s voice, her arms wrapping around her waist and her face burying into her stomach. “Mommy!” She cried out; the fear evident in the way her body shook against Sylvie’s.

Sylvie ran her fingers over the young girls hair, trying to sooth her as quickly as possible. It was then she heard movement behind her, she looked over to see a confused Matt getting out of bed. “It’s Sylvie baby, Matt’s still here too.”

“They’re here Sylvie! I heard them, they’re gonna get me.” Bella mumbled against her, snot and tears staining the front of Sylvie’s pyjama top. 

It was then a knock sounded at the bedroom door, Sylvie looked up to see Kelly and Stella standing there, concern written all over their faces. “Hey, everything okay?” Stella spoke first, kneeling down slowly on the floor. 

“I think the storm scared her; she’s convinced there’s someone out there.” Sylvie said softly as Bella slowly climbed up her body and hugged her tightly. 

“There is! I heard them, they scratched’ed the window!” Bella mumbled sternly, annoyed the adults didn’t believe her. She looked up at the figure behind them, realising it was Matt. “Will ya go check Matt? Please Matt?” 

Matt smiled softly and nodded, he leaned down to kiss her head before making his way past the three on the floor and over to Kelly. Matt and Sylvie made eye contact when he looked back, stopping when he saw her open her mouth to speak. “It seems Bella may have had an accident too, could you possibly clean it up while I clean her?” she asked gently, giving him an apologetic smile. She didn’t want Bella to feel ashamed for what had happened, and she also knew how well Matt was with kids. 

“Of course, you clean her up. Don’t worry about out here, we’ve got it.” Matt said with a reassuring look and with that they were off, Matt and Kelly checking each window individually and making sure the door was locked. 

Stella stayed behind to help Sylvie with Bella. It was as if they were a multi couple family and if the situation wasn’t so serious right now Sylvie might have almost laughed. As she stood Bella to help her undress out of the wet clothes, Stella headed off to get the shower ready for them. It was then that Sylvie noticed the sad and guilty expression on Bella’s face and the last thing she wanted was for her to feel upset for asking for help.

“You know Bella you did so good tonight.” Sylvie smiled, trying to overdo her expressions enough for Bella to read them clearly.

“Wait, really?” Bella asked surprised, she had never been told she was good when she wet the bed, she was used to a smack and being sent back to sleep in a wet bed.

“Of course! You came in here all by yourself even though you were afraid to find us. That is so brave!” Sylvie exclaimed, unbuttoning and pulling the pyjamas off the young girl. Grateful to see the smile on her face.

“I was scared, but you help me Sylvie, you always help me.” Bella said as she traced her fingers over Sylvie’s shoulder and cheek, she wasn’t even fazed to be standing in front of Sylvie naked because she trusted everyone here. More then she had ever trusted her parents in her whole six years of knowing them. 

“I’m so proud of you, Tiny.” Sylvie said while standing, reaching her hand out and taking Bella’s as she led her to the shower where Stella was waiting with warm running water. They helped her get situated and both turned to leave when Bella spoke up shyly.

“Can Stella stay? I don’t want to be alone.” Bella asked shyly, now sitting on the floor of the shower with the toys they’d brought earlier that day. She wanted Sylvie to stay too, but she needed to ask Stella a question which she didn’t want to ask in front of Sylvie yet. 

Stella was shocked by the question and it took her a second to registering what she was saying before she answered. She felt honoured that Bella trusted her so much. “yeah, yes, of course.” She answered with a nod and smile. 

“Great, well I’ll go grab you some fresh clothes while you clean up. Ill be just outside baby.” And with that Sylvie exited, getting the memo but also needing to grab some clothes and see how the boys are doing. 

Once Sylvie was gone Bella stood slowly, grabbing the frozen shower gel and slowly lathering her body, over the bruises that were slowly healing.

Stella stood there in awe of the little girl, over how strong her was after the ordeal she went through. “Do you need any help Bell?” 

Bella shook her head slowly, once she finished, she rinsed her body off. She knew she’d have to ask now, or Sylvie would be back before she could. “Hey Stella?” Bella spoke softly, looking up at her.

Stella looked up curiously at the young girl, giving her full attention to her as she waited for her to speak again. 

Bella’s voice shook when she spoke, scared for the answer that she’d get but willing to risk it for the answer. “Do you think I’ll ever find a mommy like Sylvie?” And although the shower was running over her the tear that slid from her cheek was still visible to Stella, who could only nod her answer as she tried to stop her own from falling.

“Yeah baby, I do.” And before Stella could answer more Sylvie walked back in, clothes and towel in hand. 

After that the time went quickly, only small talk happens as Sylvie helped Bella get ready for bed. Stella kissed the young girls head before bidding them both goodnight and heading back to bed, Kelly close behind her. Just as Sylvie was tucking Bella into Casey’s bed Matt came back in, looking down at the sleeping child.

“I told her she could sleep in here, after the night she’s had I didn’t want her sleeping alone again. I hope that’s okay.” Sylvie spoke as she climbed into the middle of the bed, fluffing up her pillow before laying down beneath the black. 

“No, I mean yes, that’s fine.” Matt spoke softly, his fingers running through his hair as he looked at the space he’d be sleeping and how close to Sylvie he would be. He was aware he had cuddled her ‘in his sleep’ but in his wake, he was chicken. 

“So, what’s the verdict detective?” Sylvie joked, happy the were finally able to talk freely as everyone had gone back to bed. She watched as he walked over and climbed into bed, her only just realising how close they were too.

“Just some branches from the tree outside, Kelly said he’ll trim the branches tomorrow before lunch.” He said tiredly, he had inspected the whole house before tidying up the mess on the couch. They were lucky that Bella had only wet a little and it didn’t get onto the actual couch and now he was ready to go back to sleep. “Couch is clean and sheets in the wash.” 

“Thank you for that, I know it’s a messy job, but I didn’t want to leave her. You’re my hero.” Sylvie said the last bit slightly sarcastically, she leaned forward and teasingly kissed his cheek before she rolled over, her arm wrapping around Bella instinctively. 

Matt’s heart started back up and he was glad she had turned away so she couldn’t see his blushing cheeks. He figured two could play at that game so when he laid down and got comfortable, he wrapped his arm around her, pulling her back into his front as he held her. 

He thought it may take him longer then usual to fall asleep but something about this just felt right, and within minutes he was asleep, his girls in his arms.


	16. Crayons and Fire engines

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sylvie and Matt go back to work. Bella goes to Cindy's.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just want to say a thank you for everyone who has read, reviewed and is keeping up to date with the story.   
> I'd like to apologise for not updating for a while, I fell out of love with the story and need to get back into it.
> 
> Also, I'm sorry for the spelling errors throughout the whole story. I sometimes forget to go back and check.

Waking up, Sylvie felt like she was in a dream. She was sharing the bed of the man she adored, while also cuddled up to a kid they had saved. To anybody on the outside it'd seem like a happy family. A mom, a dad and a child. This particular thought made Sylvie sad for a minute, as she realised it wasn't real and no matter how much she was crushing over Matt, she had already seen the effects loosing a child had on him. After him and his ex lost their foster son, she knew she didn't want to put him through that again, no matter how much she wanted it.  
  
They had arrived at the Herrmann house together. When they pulled up Cindy was already waiting out the front, excited to meet the young girl that Herrmann had been talking about. They all got out, Sylvie assisting Bella. They had all been laughing about something funny that Matt had said when they had first arrived but now Bella was completely silent.  
  
They knew today was going to be a busy day, with Matt back on truck and Sylvie back in the ambulance they needed to find somewhere for Bella where she could feel comfortable until their shift was over and they were lucky that Herrmanns wife, Cindy, had offered to take her so she could play with their handful of kids. But now, standing outside of the car all Bella could do was cling to both Matt and Sylvie. She had a arm wrapped around each one of their thighs, not wanting to let go. Sylvie was the first to speak, running a hand over the top of the small girls braids.   
  
"Bella, remember what I told you? You're going to have so much fun!" She exclaimed, trying her best to appear super excited for her and make her excited too. It didn't work. Instead, Bella unwrapped her arm from Sylvie's leg and shoved her thumb into her mouth while still having a death grip on Matt's leg. Sylvie sighed, crouching down next to the girl, it was here that she could see the tears welling up in the little girls eyes. "Oh B, you're gonna have so much fun."  
  
Bella shook her head, an evident frown showing up around her thumb. It broke Sylvie's heart, and Matts too. 

"Hey Bella," It was Matt's turn to try now, hoping that they could get her comfortable before they were rushed to leave. They had 20 minutes to be at the station but if they couldn't get Bella inside they knew they'd be in trouble, especially because the social worker had rearranged to see them today. "Do you trust us?" 

He waited for a moment, watching her as she nodded against his leg. "So you know that we would never let anything bad happen to you?"

Again, she nodded. Her grip on his leg loosened and her thumb fell from her mouth as she spoke, softly but loud enough for them to hear. "You promise you will come back?"

Sylvie smiled, but her heart broke a little. She reached for the girl, who was more than willing to relocate into the blondes arms. "We will always come back for you." She stated, holding her tightly for a few moments suddenly not wanting to leave. It wasn't until Matt cleared his throat did she open her eye and release the girl, setting her back slightly. "I promise you are going to have so much fun." 

Bella looked at Sylvie, then to Cindy, then back at Sylvie and nodded in a silent surrender. She didn't want to leave them but she knew that what they said was right. She felt Matt kiss her head before she moved over to Cindy and took her outstretched hand. She looked back at the two and gave a small wave. "Bye Matt and Sylvie. See you soon." 

The pair headed inside and Sylvie finally let out the breath she had been holding. Once she stood back up she felt Matt's arms wrap around her and to say she was shocked was an understatement, but she ended up returning the hug and melting into his arms. "That was hard." She mumbled into his chest, inhaling his scent. 

He sat his head on top of her while he hugged her, suddenly forgetting that they were meant to be leaving for work. "You did good Brett, proud of you." He said softly as he released her from his arms. He moved sideway and pulled open the door to his truck, letting her get in first. He grinned back at the smile he received from her before he moved around and got in the drivers side, finally making their way to work.


End file.
